A powerful show of community support filled St. Agnes Parish Center — and delivered hope — as the Rockville Centre Police Benevolent Association rallied behind one of its own last week.
The PBA’s Madeline’s Mission Spring Fest raised more than $28,000 on April 11 to support a village police officer’s infant daughter, who is battling a rare neurological disease, bringing the family one step closer to a potential life-saving treatment.
“This event is huge for us, for Madeline and her family,” the PBA president, Officer Mike Rollo, said. “And hopefully it brings the community together and helps support them with this gene therapy.”
Dozens of residents turned out for the fundraiser, filling the parish center with energy and support. Guests circulated among vendor tables and activity areas as volunteers and organizers kept the event running seamlessly.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful event,” Officer Gerard Norton, Madeline’s 32-year-old father, said. “Madeline is having a great time. All the hard work that everybody has put in is absolutely amazing.”
Local breweries and restaurants offered food and drinks, while live music from Fred Maloney added to the festive mood. Families enjoyed attractions including a petting zoo and bounce houses, as well as raffles and other fundraising activities.
“It exceeds all of our expectations,” said Kaitlin Norton, 30, Madeline’s mother. “I knew the community would come out, because Rockville Centre has been amazing to us, but to see the level of support for Madeline is incredible.”
Beyond the fundraising total, the event underscored the strong sense of unity surrounding the Norton family. Members of the Rockville Centre Police Department, along with supporters from neighboring communities, offered encouragement and solidarity.
“I think the ultimate outcome of today is to spread awareness of PKAN and make it known throughout the community,” Gerard Norton said.
One-year-old Madeline Norton was diagnosed at 6 months old with PKAN — pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration — an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects an estimated one to three children per 1 million
“[This] is about getting a cure for Madeline and showing her how much she means to us,” her mother said. “We’ll do anything for her, and we’re going to find a cure.”
The diagnosis followed months of uncertainty after Kaitlin first noticed unusual stiffness when Madeline was 2 months old. Continued testing ultimately confirmed the degenerative condition, which leads to progressive muscle stiffness and loss of motor function.
In response, the Nortons launched Madeline’s Mission, a fundraising effort dedicated to raising awareness and supporting research into PKAN. The campaign aims to raise $5 million to fund critical medical research and pave the way for clinical trials.
So far, the effort is within $1.3 million of that goal, in partnership with the Loving Loic Foundation, a Montana-based nonprofit founded by parents of a child with PKAN. The organization has raised millions to advance gene therapy research, offering hope to families with children who have the disorder.
Following the PBA’s golf outing last July, additional Madeline’s Mission fundraisers have been held in Amityville, Centereach, Mastic Beach and the family’s hometown of Massapequa — each one strengthening a growing network of support.
For the Nortons, the mission is as much about awareness as it is about a cure. “Every event like this brings us closer,” Kaitlin said, “and reminds us we’re not in this alone.”
For more information or to donate, visit Madeline’s Mission on GoFundMe.
