WS Awareness Week

If you're friends with me on Facebook, it's likely you'll have seen a few status updates wherein I have endeavored to spread awareness about Williams syndrome this week. The main reason for having a "week" of awareness is to provide a concentrated effort to enlighten people about the disorder so that a diagnosis can come sooner rather than later (should one be needed).

Believe it or not, I've met several people with WS who weren't diagnosed until later in life--teens, thirties, etc. The earlier a diagnosis is given, the earlier therapies can start, medical treatment can be given, and parents can get relief by finally knowing what's "wrong" with their child.

I don't feel the need to say too much more about Williams syndrome here since, if you've been reading for some time, you're already aware that our son Buddy was diagnosed with the genetic disorder in August of 2009. And you've followed along as we've dealt with the issues related to WS. And you'll know my answer to the question, "did God create Williams syndrome?"

However, in the event that you're new to the WS universe (about 1 in 10,000 babies are born with the disorder and currently about 30,000 individuals are living with it), here's a link to a site that gives a brief overview of it.

And no, we're not concerned that waiting-to-be-born Cubby will also have the disorder. In most cases, it's caused by a spontaneous deletion on the seventh chromosome at the time of conception--it's not an inherited disorder. Since Cubby has chosen this week to enter the world, we won't be attending any of the WS awareness events this year, so I won't have an opportunity to blog on them. We'll look forward to doing so next year, Lord willing.