The First Pillar of Love - Family

He, a hard-working father and businessman in Canada, is horrified and saddened when he discovers his wonderful one-year-old daughter Sarah, normal at birth, suddenly doesn’t respond to the world around her.  Later, Erwin reads about a condition called Rett Syndrome that affects only girls. He thinks he has found the answer.  Dr. Rett diagnoses Sarah with the genetic disorder he discovered called Rett Syndrome. Erwin and his wife Marg first experience hope, then great fear, when they learn there is no cure.  Erwin’s determination and passion for helping Sarah, as well as girls like her and other families that suffer from the disease, becomes his life mission.  He tenaciously seeks answers to his questions: How to raise international awareness about Rett Syndrome? How do we educate the medical community to make them aware of the disease and enhance global research? How to raise the funds necessary to unlock the nightmare of Rett Syndrome? Erwin finds an answer and makes a courageous decision: Climb the tallest and grandest mountain in the world, “Qhomolungma,” which in English is “Mount. Everest.” 

He quit his 18-year executive position at Xerox, a global leader in photocopy machines and established the Canadian Rett Syndrome Association (CRSA) in hopes of raising national awareness and funds. Along this complicated, long, arduous journey, he becomes a charity leader who encounters opposition from the people he is trying to help - resistance that sorely tests a father’s resolve to reach “Qhomolungma.”  From Chinese hearts, he finds much generosity to relieve the bitterness of fighting such fierce and counterproductive battles.

Despite sleepless nights and anxiety, Erwin and his CRSA team plan to put on a high-society fundraising gala charity called the “Climb for Hope” ball. The Ball became another considerable challenge. How do you organize a huge gala event? It helped that he had attended many elaborate fundraising gala dinners. Could he get 600 to 800 people to be present at the Climb for Hope Ball at $150 to $350 each to help raise funds for the expedition and parent support?  Who could help to make it successful? The answer came from New Zealand.