Life with The Leivas: The Apartment

Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Apartment

We are so blessed to live in a beautifully furnished apartment here in Durham. Thanks to the Evanosky Foundation we are living in one of their Houses of Hope. Here are just a few pictures of the apartment.

Olivia's Room

Living Room

From the Front Door

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

After spending months living in Olivia's cramped hospital room it has been wonderful to have so much room to spread out and be comfortable in! We are getting spoiled here!

3 comments:

Wendy Leiva said...: It is beautiful! It looks like a similar layout to the one we stayed with you guys in. Is it at the same complex?; Sunday, October 04, 2009 9:11:00 PM
Ashley said...: how cute!; Sunday, October 04, 2009 10:54:00 PM
Unknown said...: Sure looks nicer than "the Forrest"; Monday, October 05, 2009 10:27:00 PM

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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.