Fragile X Picnic Honors Two Fragile X Volunteers


Two of North Carolina’s Fragile X pioneers were recognized and honored for their many years of service to our community at the NC Fragile X Foundation’s annual picnic in October. Held at Lake Mackintosh Park in Burlington, NC the picnic reunited many family and friends who had not seen each other in several years due to the COVID pandemic.
Ave M. Lachiewicz, MD and Deby Burgess both retired from the Duke Fragile X Clinic this summer after outstanding careers serving over 500 families impacted by Fragile X syndrome across the state. In addition to their clinical work, the dynamic duo worked hard to educate healthcare professionals, teachers, lay people, parents and extended family members about the nature of Fragile X since the mid to late 80s.
To carry on their vital work and continue Duke’s service to the Fragile X community, Dr. Alice Bryn Salter, a developmental pediatrician, and Dr. Gail Spiridigliozzi, the clinic’s adolescent psychologist, will continue operating the clinic to assure a smooth transition for the clinic’s patients.
The picnic was catered by Chick-Fil-A and was made possible, in part, through a generous donation from the Knights of Columbus and their state treasurer, Rick Lewis, was on hand to present the foundation its check.
Look for more news about the 2023 picnic planned for mid-October.
Annual Events
NC Fragile X Bowl-a-thon
Each year, the NCFXF proudly hosts the highly acclaimed bowl-a-thon in the central region of North Carolina. Teams are formed by families and friends to raise funds for the foundation and to compete for the coveted bowl-a-thon championship trophy!



