Steps toward a cure for diabetes and Wolfram Syndrome are being made and successful results are occurring in scientific research. The treatments are not yet available for Wolfram patients so it’s wise to attempt slowing Wolfram progression until treatments are available. In addition to being a Wolfram patient I am also a huge advocate for correcting one’s health on one’s own without the use of prescriptions.
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I received a great email today from a mother who teaches 4th grade PSR (Parish School of Religion) at our church St. Clare of Assisi.
She told me that at the end of their Monday night class, they around the room and each child will pray for someone or something important to them. She said one little guy in particular wanted to pray for a classmate who had diabetes and that he hopes we find a cure soon because he does not want her to hurt anymore. The classmate he was referring to was my daughter, Raquel. When I read this email, it touched my heart and brought a smile to my face. The hardest audience I have ever spoken in front of, (600 elementary children), actually understood what I had said to them during our Diabetes Awareness Month assembly at Babler Elementary. It warmed my heart that this little boy had comprehended that one of his classmates is struggling with her health. It was worth it and if I had to speak to a million elementary school kids…I would! It goes to show you that if we all try and spread the word about Wolfram syndrome, we just might raise enough awareness and support for the research that will one day revolutionize the diabetic world and save the life of my daughter and others like her who are living with this horrific disease. In the meantime, I’ll keep working and sharing our message because you never know who’s listening.
I have always had great intuition (good or bad), ask my friends and family! The Snow Foundation has hired a new President and CEO, Dr. Saad Naseer, who is driven and ready to make our dreams become reality. The foundation is finally receiving the full time attention and direction it deserves, which means Wolfram syndrome patients are going to get the help and their prayers answered. I am excited to spread the word and I mean really spread the word and I am more excited that Snow Foundation has the leadership to make it happen. My prayers have been answered and I am grateful. This year is going to be revolutionary, great changes are coming.
Publication: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov | Publication Date: February 4, 2016
Authors: Umut Özcan, Erkan Yilmaz, Lale Özcan, Masato Furuhashi, Eric Vaillancourt, Ross O. Smith, Cem Z. Görgün, and Gökhan S. Hotamisligil
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a key link between obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Here, we provide evidence that this mechanistic link can be exploited for therapeutic purposes with orally active chemical chaperones. 4-Phenyl butyric acid and taurine-conjugated ursodeoxycholic acid alleviated ER stress in cells and whole animals. Treatment of obese and diabetic mice with these compounds resulted in normalization of hyperglycemia, restoration of systemic insulin sensitivity, resolution of fatty liver disease, and enhancement of insulin action in liver, muscle, and adipose tissues. Our results demonstrate that chemical chaperones enhance the adaptive capacity of the ER and act as potent antidiabetic modalities with potential application in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
A quick description of my job; work 24/7, deal with scientists, researchers, doctors, philanthropists, sports figures, political figures, full time advocate for rare disease, counselor for parents and patients, breakfast, lunch, dinner meetings, travel around the world, public speaker, accountant, secretary, marketing and most important Fundraiser.
Combine all the above and they do not equal what it is like to fundraise. For anyone who has ever had to go out and ask for money, it is not fun. I hated it at first but now to be honest, I am learning to like it. Because each morning that I wake up and see my beautiful 10 year old daughter Raquel slip farther and farther away from her independence, it makes me very mad. Mad, because we are sitting around waiting. Our research is on hold, our clinical trials are on hold, drug therapies are on hold. The only thing holding us back is MONEY. We need a minimum of $4M to do the necessary research on the eyes, ears, brain and bladder and begin clinical trials on drugs that could possibly stop the progression of this disease and may even restore vision. As per experts, as we get into trials we may need to adjust this amount, but we cannot wait till we have perfect knowledge. We need to act NOW to save our children. MONEY does make the world go round, without it, these patients don’t have a chance.
Please visit our crowdfunding campaign at Snowfunds.org. We are asking you to contribute and spread the word and support our humble cause. Thank you.
Publication: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov | Publication Date: January 7, 2016
Authors: Fumihiko Urano
Wolfram syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic nerve atrophy, hearing loss, and neurodegeneration. Although there are currently no effective treatments that can delay or reverse the progression of Wolfram syndrome, the use of careful clinical monitoring and supportive care can help relieve the suffering of patients and improve their quality of life. The prognosis of this syndrome is currently poor, and many patients die prematurely with severe neurological disabilities, raising the urgency for developing novel treatments for Wolfram syndrome. In this article, we describe natural history and etiology, provide recommendations for diagnosis and clinical management, and introduce new treatments for Wolfram syndrome.
The Snow Foundation was represented at the 3rd Annual Wolfram Syndrome Support and Information Day in the UK in November. The conference had numerous speakers ranging from specialized service, therapeutics, developing treatments, urology, psychology and neurology, to name a few. Dr. Fumihiko Urano gave a presentation on patient based therapeutics and Stephanie Snow Gebel spoke about The Snow Foundation to over 100 Wolfram patients and their families. It was an honor to represent the United States and our fight against Wolfram syndrome and diabetes. It was also refreshing to know that there are individuals who are fighting just as hard to better the lives of those who are living with this insidious disease. The Snow Foundation is looking into starting a similar workshop here in the States, although we are much larger than the UK, it will take a great deal of funding to implement such a program.
It’s been 10 years since I graduated from High School. We had our 10th year reunion this last weekend. I had to find someone who could help lead me around. I love my mom but going to a reunion with your mom is just not cool, so I asked my friend Meredith to take me.
The first festivity was a float in a parade. The class reunions are always during our town’s celebration weekend. As much as I wanted to sit on the float with my classmates, I knew it would be impossible. The weather was 85 degrees which is way too hot for me to be outside long and then there was the problem of needing a restroom. We had to line up on our float an hour before the parade and then the parade was an hour long. I can’t go that long without needing the restroom. It really disappointed me but I’ve learned there are things I just can’t partake in.
The next festivity was out at a cabin. I talked with my mom and decided it would just be too hard for me to walk across an uneven surface, be outside in the heat, and again needing the restroom. So we decided to just skip that also. Then my friend Meredith said she was only going to stay out there for an hour and would help guide me around. I was very excited about that. I really did want to go but didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. But Meredith insisted that I wouldn’t be a burden and she would be glad to take me there. I was really happy I went. I got to see a lot of my classmates. Well I couldn’t SEE them but I was able to talk with them and say hello. Meredith took me around and let me know who was there so I could say hello to everyone.
Then that evening there was a dinner banquet. Meredith again took me there and helped me to the table. Unfortunately not many of my classmates came. So I was really glad I was able to go to the cabin because I saw many more classmates then I would have been able to see at the banquet.
After the banquet everyone was heading to the bar to celebrate. There was a live band playing and it was less than ½ block to my house. Unfortunately by this time I was getting very tired. That darn fatigue was getting in the way of my continuing the celebration. I told everyone that I would be the designated driver to drive them home but no one took me up on that one. I wonder why? But overall it was a great experience and I’m glad I went and I’m glad that my friend Meredith took the time to help me enjoy the celebration. I am very grateful to her.
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