NEW HOPE - At age 2, McKenzie Jade White was diagnosed with urticaria pigmentosa, a form of mast cell disease. On July 7, 2006, at the age of 3, the vibrant and loving little girl passed away from a severe allergic reaction to a walnut that she had eaten.

Since that time, her mother, Tina Weed, along with several other family members have established the McKenzie White Mastocytosis Research Memorial Fund.

Each year on McKenzie's birthday and at Christmas the family hosts an event to raise funds for this rare and little-known disease.

“Our goal is to make people aware,” said Debbie Badman, McKenzie's grandmother during a yard sale held to raise funds for the memorial Saturday in New Hope. “We did all that we could but had little information to work with. We want to help provide funds for the research to find the cause and a cure.”

Mast cell disease is caused by an abnormal increase in the number of mast cells created in the body. Mast cells release certain mediators, or chemicals, one of these chemicals being the histamine needed to control allergic reactions.

“McKenzie was so full of life,” Badman said. “We called her our little spitfire.”

Weed said that her daughter loved Cinderella, and would wear her Cinderella dress all the time.

Weed said that she, along with McKenzie's doctors, were baffled when she began to develop an unusual rash when she was a baby. It wasn't until she was referred to a dermatologist that the disease was discovered.

“We are working to bring awareness,” Badman said. “It is our hope to that we can support research that may someday save lives.”