Life with The Leivas: Hawaii Here We Come

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Hawaii Here We Come

Okay now it's finally time for our family vacation! We traded in our timeshare in Vail and actually got two weeks elsewhere (it's a long story but that's how Mike was able to stay at a beautiful resort in Cabo last week) and we've decided to use the second of those weeks in Hawaii! We spent Olivia's second birthday on the big island of Hawaii. While we're not right on the beach it looks like we'll be staying at a beautiful hotel and after the 2 weeks of not really seeing eachother we're all very excited to spend some time together with just the 3 of us! I'll be posting some pictures of our trip soon!

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MPS/Sanfilippo Syndrome

In October, 2008 Olivia was disgnosed with MPS III or Sanfilippo Syndrome, type B. MPS stands for: Mucopolysaccharidoses. It is a genetic lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.

Babies and young children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal, but symptoms begin to appear with age as more and GAGs build up in the cells of the body. There are 3 stages to the disease. Stage 1 the child begins to lag behind peers and begins to display difficult behaviors. Stage 2 the child losing his/her language, becomes hyperactive, chews on everything, and has sleeping difficulties. Stage 3 the child slows down, becomes dependant for all mobility and loses the ability to chew/swallow. There is no treatment or cure for Sanfilippo. Life expectancy varies.