FCBARCELONA.CAT

03.02.2010 13:51

Xavi supports great cause

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Xavi Hernández met several members of the Spanish Association for Mucopolysaccharidosis & Related Syndromes on Wednesday and became an honorary member of the organisation that is trying to help fight the neurodegenerative illness.

As part of a very special day, the members of the association were able to watch the FC Barcelona first team squad train at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper before they were introduced to Xavi.

Honorary member

The Blaugrana playmaker was made an honorary member of the assocaition, that was founded in 2005 and has some 400 members, around 200 of whom are children that have the illness. Around 30 members were present to speak to Xavi and ask him questions about himself and the team.

Raising the profile

Jordi Cruz, president of the Spanish Association for Mucopolysaccharidosis & Related Syndromes, thanked Xavi for his time. "Today was a great chance for us to raise our profile and Xavi Hernández is the first honorary member of the association," he explained.

Around 1,200 people in Spain have the illness and Xavi's affiliation to the cause will promote the cause to find out more about it and how it can be treated.

Neurodegenerative illness

Mucopolysaccharidosis and related syndromes is an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning that only individuals inheriting the defective gene from both parents are affected.