About Me

Our beautiful 8 year old daughter Leah, was diagnosed in July, 2007 with Neurofibromitosis 2 (NF2). NF2 is a rare disorder where the child is lacking a protein that suppresses tumor growth. Without this protein, children like Leah develop benign tumors that grow in the brain, spinal cord and throughout the body. These tumors can grow large enough to cause neurological problems like deafness, blindness and seizure activity depending on their size and location. Sometimes the tumors can be surgically removed, but at great risk to the child.

Leah has 6 tumors in her brain and underwent her first surgery in December '08 to remove a tumor in her neck that was compressing her spinal cord at C2. Leah will most likely face risky surgery again in 2009 to remove one of her brain tumors that is growing more rapidly. She is being monitored very closely by her medical team and through frequent MRI's.

Current NF2 research is aimed at screening thousands of current drugs on the market which could prevent new tumors from developing and hopefully keep existing tumors from growing. Leah is one of the youngest patients identified with NF2. It is urgent that we fund this research for Leah and others facing the lifelong challenges of NF2.

Thank you for all of your support.

John and Linda Manth
JManth7028@aol.com