A few weeks ago, my Rev3 Teammate, Jamie, reached out to the team. His friend Donna was trying to spread awareness of CMT disease. If we’d help spread the word, she’d donate to the Ulman Cancer Fund. Well, you can’t say no to that!!
So, what is CMT?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth, or CMT, is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy and is found worldwide among all races and ethnic groups. Discovered in 1886 by three physicians, Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie, and Howard Henry Tooth, CMT affects an estimated 2.6 million people.
Non-Contagious, Non-Fatal, Inherited Disease
CMT usually isn’t life-threatening and almost never affects brain function. It is not contagious, but it is hereditary and can be passed down from one generation to the next.
Connection to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
CMT is one of 40 diseases covered by the MDA, but unlike muscular dystrophy, in which the defect is in the muscles, CMT is a disorder in which the defect is in the nerves that control the muscles.
Symptoms
CMT patients slowly lose normal use of their extremities as nerves degenerate and muscles weaken because the affected nerves no longer stimulate the muscles. Many patients also have some loss of sensory nerve functions.
Treatments
CMT doesn’t have a cure, although physical therapy, occupational therapy, and moderate physical activity are beneficial. Sometimes CMT is surgically treated.
(source: http://www.cmtausa.org)
So… what can YOU do about CMT?
Register to Join the CMTA Online Community
Share Your Story – or read the stories on the site, and leave a few supportive comments. There are some amazing stories from people like Jesse and Mike.
Make a Donation – or hit the store, purchase a product, and use it as a tool to spread awareness on your own!
…or head over to Donna’s blog and let her share her story. She’s a triathlete with CMT, and she’s quite an inspiration! “What do you do, just because you can? Me? I do triathlons. Not because I am fast. And not because I am particularly athletic. But because I can. And I hope that I can for a very long time.” She rocks.
Rocking my CMTA shirt – ready for yoga – not because I’m good, because I can, and I should appreciate that fact every day!
