It was in October 2012 that our 17 year old daughter Georgia was diagnosed with Chiari MalformationAn anatomical abnormality affecting the lowermost part of brain,

Hi my name is Janet Sutherland and I was diagnosed with syringomyeliaA cavity, within the spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest of his or her body. It is about the size of a person’s little finger, in diameter. It cannot repair itself if damaged., which is filled with cerebrospinal fluidThis clear, water-like fluid forms, for the most part, within the brain, more specifically inside the ventricles of the brain. Blood flows through structures inside the ventricles, called the choroid plexuses, and clear fluid is produced as a result, passing into the ventricle. This process is akin to blood flowing through the kidneys and urine being produced as a result. An important difference is that, unlike urine, the cerebrospinal fluid is not passed out of the body periodically. Instead, the fluid is re-absorbed back into the blood stream, mostly via the arachnoid granulations, into the cerebral venous sinuses. In the course of a 24-hour period, most healthy adults will produce about 500mls (or a pint) of cerebrospinal fluid, although at.... SyringomyeliaA cavity, within the spinal cord, which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Syringomyelia cavities come in various “shapes and sizes”, from short, spindle-shaped cavities through to long, tense cavities extending throughout the greater part of the spinal cord. Read more cavities

Our youngest son is called Ben. He was 3 years old when we found out that there was aproblem with his brain. Up to that

In 2009, I was a Head of a Department in a local Further Education college and a singleparent with two young children, who were then

Lynn’s ability to support and empathise with other people was born, at least in part, out of her own experiences of living with Chiari and