ANNAWAN — Cradled in the love and prayers of her family and her parish since before she was born, 10-month-old Katelyn Hope DeRycke will once again receive the support of her parish next weekend when a benefit raises money to help pay her rising medical expenses.

Katelyn, daughter of Adam and Hope DeRycke, members of Sacred Heart Parish in Annawan, needs a kidney transplant.

Due to a rare genetic condition known as Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Disease, both of Katelyn’s kidneys had to be removed within a week of her birth. Since then she has had to receive dialysis 14 hours a day.

“I think she was on just about every prayer chain in the state of Illinois, it seemed like,” Katelyn’s mother told The Catholic Post.

Members of Sacred Heart Parish also showed their concern and their generosity. “Even when Katelyn was still in the hospital, people were coming in with food, they were giving us their prayers,” said Mrs. DeRycke. “This was last year when gas prices were so high, and people kept giving us gas cards.”

The community of Sacred Heart Parish and the wider Annawan community will again show their support for Katelyn and her family through a benefit dinner and auction.

To help pay Katelyn’s mounting bills, a group of seven Sacred Heart members are organizing “Kindness for Katelyn,” beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at the Flemish American Club, 313 N. Burr Blvd., Kewanee. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

The benefit will include a meal served from 5 to 7 p.m., a cash bar, live and silent auctions, a cake and pie auction, a 50/50 raffle, and live music from the band Cover-Up. The live auction begins at 7.

For every $3 raised at the benefit, Henry County Chapter Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will donate $1.

Also, a special fund for Katelyn has been established at BankORION. Monetary donations to the Katelyn DeRycke Benefit Fund may be mailed to or dropped off at any BankORION branch.

For tickets to the benefit, or for inquiries about donations, call Carol Sue VanOpdorp at (309) 935-6386, Val Jackson at (309) 935-6343, or Sue VonHolten at (815) 542-6273.