Pretty Eyes Creates

I’ve been super busy planning for Syringomyelia Awareness Month in May. I’m super pumped to say that I’ve managed to get 9 landmarks all across Canada to light up BLUE. 💙✨ For those who are wondering.. why, what & how?

WHY:
Once upon a time I thought I needed emergency surgery, at the time I wasn’t aware of the signs for me in particular…. so I called 911. Upon the paramedics arriving they knew what Chiari Malformation was, but they had no clue what Syringomyelia was. This is why I’m so passionate about advocating and raising awareness.

WHAT:

Syringomyelia (sear-IN-go-my-EEL-ya) is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, expands and elongates over time, destroying a portion of the spinal cord from its centre and expanding outward. As a syrinx widens it compresses and injures nerve fibres that carry information from the brain to the extremities.
Damage to the spinal cord often leads to progressive weakness in the arms and legs, stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms, or legs, and chronic, severe pain. Other symptoms may include headaches, a loss of the ability to feel extremes of hot or cold (especially in the hands), and loss of bladder and other functions. Each individual experiences a different combination of symptoms depending on where in the spinal cord the syrinx forms and how far it extends.

HOW:

Diagnostic imaging has significantly increased the number of Syringomyelia cases detected in the beginning stages of the disorder. Physicians primarily use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose Syringomyelia.

I’ll be announcing the landmarks that are going blue closer to the end of April! Stay tuned. 😉