Category: Spotlight
First let me introduce myself. My name is Phyllis Jennings. I live in Princeton, West Virginia. I just turned 50 in May of this year. I am married and have one daughter. I am one of 5 children (3 girls and 2 boys) and the only one that has rheumatoid arthritis. The doctors are always surprised by this because they say usually someone else in the family has it. Oh well, guess I was the lucky one for some reason. Actually if someone in my family had to have it I’m glad it wasn’t one of them. I wouldn’t wish this disease on anybody.
Anthony Karen is a freelance photojournalist. He recently contacted Audacity Magazine and offered to share the pictures in his journey to other countries. We are very grateful for this opportunity to give you some very emotional pictures of people with disabilities in a 3rd world country like Cambodia.
Cystic Fibrosis—or CF—is an incurable, genetically inherited and ultimately fatal disease that is typically diagnosed during early childhood, usually by age three.
The Mayo Clinic estimates that about 30,000 young children and young adults in the U.S. alone have CF. About 1,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The average life expectancy of those with Cystic Fibrosis is 32 years, but advances in medical treatment have seen an increase in prolonged life with a higher quality of life.
Glaucoma is a generic term for a pattern of optic nerve damage. Located at the back of the eye, the optic nerve carries nerve impulses from the brain to the eye.
Parkinson’s Disease is a nerve disorder in the substantia nigra, which is the part of the brain that produces dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that is used to direct and control muscle function. As a result of the drop in dopamine, movement becomes abnormal.
