Lowell fundraiser to help girl with spina bifida

LOWELL -- Ciara Rosario was born with spinal bifida, a condition that has left her paralyzed from the waist down.

Her electric wheelchair is her feet, but she is in desperate need of an additional mode of transportation.

Her mother, Enid DeCastro, is desperately looking for a special-needs van. As Ciara gets older, her needs grow greater. Soon, she will need to visit Boston more often for her medical appointments.

Diamond and Pearl Affairs, a Salem, N.H., event-planning company, has been brought aboard to help.

On March 16, the company will host a fundraising event for Ciara. The party will take place at the East End Social Club in Lowell.

The goal is to raise $48,000 -- enough to allow Ciara's family to buy a special-needs van with a 10-year warranty from Londonderry, N.H.-based Ride-Away, Inc.

To be a sponsor, potential donors can contact JennieDee Torres-Hertello, Ciara's official handicapped-van coordinator, by calling 978-606-8095 or by emailing her at jenniedee.peal@gmail.com.

Follow Evan Lips at www.twitter.com/evanmlips