Sorel Kolendrianos is a Santa Barbara girl living with Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that generally causes a slowing of development, loss of certain functions, and often seizures. At 18 months, Sorel lost hope of walking, talking, and using her hands in a purposeful way.
Sorel is now nine-years-old, and though she's upbeat and resilient, her parents say, she still struggles. On Saturday the 20th, the fourth annual Paddle For Sorel will be held at 8:30 a.m.; the paddle-out will begin at the north end of Goleta Beach and conclude nine miles later at Leadbetter Beach.
The Kolendrianos family holds the paddle-out in honor of their daughter and all kids living with Rett syndrome in order to raise awareness and funds for continued research to discover a cure. They have asked that this year’s donations be made to The Sorel Kolendrianos Medical Fund or rettsyndrome.org .