Life with The Leivas: Happy Easter

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Happy Easter

Since Mike was out of town last week we decided to wait until this weekend to celebrate Easter, the wait was well worth it! I didn't go shopping for goodies for the kids Easter baskets until after the real Easter so I got everything for 50-75% off! The weather here this weekend was beautiful! We got to go to mass together then we came home for an egg hunt in our backyard then we had a yummy dinner of honey baked ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus and strawberry shortcake. Here are just a few of my favorite pics from the day.

1 comment:

Wendy Leiva said...: Adorable!! I am happy you could be together to celebrate!; Monday, April 20, 2009 12:01:00 AM

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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.