Nicole Schmidt of Becker is once again looking for donations for her organization, Operation X-mas Jammies.

Schmidt is the mother of Andrew, who was diagnosed with Pallister-Killian Syndrome (PKS) at the age of five. PKS is a very rare disease with only 500 known cases in the world. PKS affects the 12th chromosome. According to the Operation X-mas Jammies website, “It presents with four short arms on the 12th chromosome instead of the typical two.” 

Children who are diagnosed with PKS have developmental disabilities and low muscle tone. Like Down Syndrome, children with PKS look very similar to one another.

Andrew Schmidt suffers from seizures, and has hearing and vision difficulties. He’s had many surgeries, including hip and spine surgeries. 

In honor of Christmas, Schmidt created Operation X-mas Jammies. The goal of the organization is to raise awareness of PKS, as well as to send pajamas to PKS kids around the world. Pajamas are great gifts for kids with PKS. The kids usually aren’t able to play with toys, so pajamas are a good alternative. 

Gov. Tim Walz declared Dec. 4 PKS Awareness Day in Minnesota this year. Those who want to support the cause can wear black and red, the official PKS colors, and they can make a donation to Operation X-mas Jammies, either by giving money or by sponsoring one of 100 kids around the world living with PKS. Normally, Schmidt would organize a fundraising dinner as well, but with COVID-19 restrictions, she was unable to do so this year.

Schmidt says she loves to talk about her two daughters, who were valedictorians, and she loves to talk about her son too, but there’s a perceived awkwardness when talking to people about a child with special needs. She wants to raise awareness of PKS so there is less of that awkwardness. She’s gone into the schools and hosted events for years in order to educate people about PKS and how to care for kids with disabilities.

To learn more about Operation X-mas Jammies, visit OperationXmasJammies.com or see the Facebook page.