Please help me to raise awareness by posting or emailing the following information.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic killer of children under the age of two, is an often fatal disease that destroys the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement, which affects crawling, walking, head and neck control, and even swallowing.
SMA is one of the most prevalent genetic disorders. One in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA. SMA can strike anyone of any age, race or gender.One in every 40 people carries the gene that causes SMA. The child of two carriers has a one in four chance of developing SMA. 7.5 million Americans are carriers.
SMA Patients are classified into four types based on milestones achieved at onset of SMA. Type I and II are the most prevalent. Type I, or Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease, is the most severe form of SMA. Type I SMA strikes infants between birth and six months old. Children affected with Type I cannot sit without support. --THIS IS THE TYPE that Georgia had.
With each pregnancy Mike and I have there is a 25% chance that our baby will be affected. Calla, Maya and Aria are all healthy (Thank God) but they too may be carriers. We have lost one child and while we will probably never have any more children we continue to work towards a cure in honor of Georgia and all of the other warriors and angels out there.
August is SMA awareness month. Please consider wearing an ivory ribbon. The color is representative of the innocence and purity of SMA's victims.
Cure SMA
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic killer of children under the age of two, is an often fatal disease that destroys the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement, which affects crawling, walking, head and neck control, and even swallowing.
SMA is one of the most prevalent genetic disorders. One in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA. SMA can strike anyone of any age, race or gender.One in every 40 people carries the gene that causes SMA. The child of two carriers has a one in four chance of developing SMA. 7.5 million Americans are carriers.
SMA Patients are classified into four types based on milestones achieved at onset of SMA. Type I and II are the most prevalent. Type I, or Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease, is the most severe form of SMA. Type I SMA strikes infants between birth and six months old. Children affected with Type I cannot sit without support. --THIS IS THE TYPE that Georgia had.
With each pregnancy Mike and I have there is a 25% chance that our baby will be affected. Calla, Maya and Aria are all healthy (Thank God) but they too may be carriers. We have lost one child and while we will probably never have any more children we continue to work towards a cure in honor of Georgia and all of the other warriors and angels out there.
August is SMA awareness month. Please consider wearing an ivory ribbon. The color is representative of the innocence and purity of SMA's victims.
Cure SMA
I posted this as a note on my Facebook profile. Thanks for sharing it! Do you know where we can get SMA Awareness ribbons?
ReplyDelete