Related News

    News

  • Cancer Survivor Madison…

    Tuesday, July 27, 2010

    Madison Boudreaux is six years old, but has already beaten one of the toughest diseases - cancerThe tiny dancer is now… more...

  • Benamati Battles Rare Illness…

    Monday, July 26, 2010

    CURWENSVILLE -- For more than 20 years, William J. "Bill" Benamati has been assisting families during the worst times… more...

  • Westwood Woman Running in the…

    Wednesday, July 21, 2010

    Westwood -- Victoria Koutris, of Westwood, will be running the Athens Marathon in October to raise money to fight a… more...

  • Blessing in Disguise

    Wednesday, July 21, 2010

    For most parents, discovering their child has a rare disease can be devastatingBut for Case and Afton Hoffman, Center… more...

  • Family Declares Battle on…

    Tuesday, July 20, 2010

    Like most parents who have a child with a disabling disease, Samra and Leonard Savioz of Franklin Park have spent the… more...

All Related News

NewsFlash Archive

More News

SubscribeMore Topics

People News

Mount Everest Climb Will Aid Ill Cumberland County Teen

| More

Thursday, March 4, 2010

By Matt Miller

Myles Clapsadl of Monroe Township, Cumberland County, has spent nearly all of his 17 years battling a degenerative brain disease.

It makes walking, talking and even swallowing difficult for the Cumberland Valley High School senior. Yet Myles fights back with determination, undergoing regular drug and physical therapy and, on doctor’s orders, spending at least an hour each day honing his motor skills on his Wii video game system.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare disease that was diagnosed in Myles when he was a toddler, caused the degeneration that is attacking his brain. An “orphan disease,” it afflicts fewer than 500 people in the U.S. annually. There is no known cure.

Jay Sexton, a family friend and avid hiker, is hoping to help change that. Next month, Sexton, 72, of Cooke Township, Cumberland County, will climb partway up Mount Everest in Nepal to raise money for research sponsored by the Histiocytosis Association of America.

For information on Sexton’s fund drive, Miles for Myles, log onto the special events section of www.histio.org.

 

© 2009 PennLive LLC

Source: PennLive.Com

0%
0 votes You need to be logged in to rate.