"Live Music on the Bay"
Our Weekly Sunset Dinner Cruise

Sundays 4 to 8 pm
$49 ticket includes appetizers, dinner and a cash bar
Purchase tickets today!

Why We Care

A note from Andrea Lembach, General Manager, Empress Events:

“My daughter, Hailey (now 6) was born with a genetic disorder called cri du chat syndrome or 5 p minus. There are only 50 children born a year with this rare disorder. There was very little known about it by the geneticist that we were referred to and he in fact handed me a one paragraph explanation of cri du chat, which said that she would never walk, speak or interact with anyone (to make a long story short) and sent me on my way. After much research on my own, I felt frustrated and finally found the five p minus society. They support parents and children with this disorder and were a life saver to me during my daughter’s first year. They enabled me to connect with other families who had children with her disability. They gave me a glimpse into the future with a child who had such a severe disability and made it a little less daunting! Those connections that I made with other families and parents made me a stronger parent and enabled me to continue to advocate for her and not give up.

At six years old, Hailey Reyann now runs most of the time instead of walking, she has some language but mainly uses signs to communicate. She is significantly more advanced than we expected, mainly because of the advocating that I did for her with the support of the 5 p minus society. She still has many therapies every week to continue her development and does still have difficulties in many areas. She attends a special education classroom in Novato and loves every minute of it. She also spends some time in a normal developing classroom for socialization. She has a smile that lights up a room (but I am biased!!).

Each year in the United States, approximately 50 to 60 children are born with the syndrome. 5p- Syndrome is characterized at birth by a high pitched cry, low birth weight, poor muscle tone, microcephaly, and potential medical complications. “5p-” is a term used by geneticists to describe a portion of chromosome number five that is missing in these individuals. Children born with this rare genetic defect will most likely require ongoing support from a team of parents, therapists, and medical and educational professionals to help the child achieve his or her maximum potential. We want to encourage and facilitate communication among families with a member who has 5p- syndrome and to spread awareness and education about the syndrome to these families and their service providers.”