It has come to my attention that the youngest daughter of an old
friend with whom I am no longer particularly friendly has been
diagnosed with something called Chiari Type 1 Malformation.
Chiari
Type 1 Malformation is a nasty little neurological disorder that is at
best poorly understood and can have very serious, debilitating, and
life-long side effects.
In a nutshell, it causes a part of the
brain to be pressed down into the spinal column, resulting in a host of
symptomatic disabilities that can range from headache and neck pain to
scoliosis and hydrocephaly ("mongoloidism" or "water on the brain").
The cause is not known, and there are no good cures either.
It's
certainly not anything I would wish on anybody, least of all an
innocent child. Unfortunately, this syndrome tends to develop during
the second and third trimester of pregnancy, and so those most
seriously impacted by it are young children, although Chiari is a
fairly recent class of diagnosis; many people who are now adults may
have been misdiagnosed in the past as hydrocephalic, scoliotic, or
victims of other secondary neuropathies that present as symptoms of
Chiari.
I'm not aware of any particular fund-raising effort for
my friend and his family, nor is it my intent to start one here.
However, I would ask that you please consider donating to one of the
organizations that specializes in funding research and treatment for
this disease and other, similar diseases (or secondary diseases that
result from this one), as well as support for families and loved ones
of those stricken by this profound and potentially crippling or even
life-threatening syndrome. Thank you.