Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

See our little angel SAM, he is currently confined at the Philippine General Hospital for the past week due to pneumonia and is under observation for this disease.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is one of the neuromuscular diseases. Muscles weaken and waste away (atrophy) due to degeneration of motor neurones which are nerve cells in the spinal cord. Normally, these motor neurones relay signals, which they receive from the brain, to the muscle cells. When these neurones fail to function, the muscles deteriorate. The brain and the sensory nerves (that allow us to feel sensations such as touch, temperature, pain etc.) are not affected. Intelligence is normal.

From the description just given it can be seen why the condition is called Spinal Muscular Atrophy - the muscles atrophy because of a problem in the nerve cells in the spine.

Infantile spinal muscular atrophy (Werdnig-Hoffamann disease) is the most severe form of SMA. It usually becomes evident in the first six months of life. The child is unable to roll or sit unsupported, and the severe muscle weakness eventually causes feeing and breathing problems. These children usually do not live beyond about 18 months of age.

SOURCE: http://www.mda.org.au/specific/mdasma.html

Although this has yet to be confirmed pending the test results scheduled for this Tuesday 25 Oct 2005, we hope that you would join us in praying for a favorable result and for Sam and his family to remain strong amidst this big trial that we are facing.