A few weeks before returning to Hamilton College for her sophomore year, June Cook-Selman was diagnosed with Chiari malformation and told she needed surgery.
There’s nothing Marie Morris-Chaloux loves more than her family. “We spend a lot of time together,” she says. “My husband and I and our two kids travel often. We live an active life of hiking, biking, playing golf, kickboxing, or going to the gym....
Abby Oberriter loves nothing more than hiking on local trails with her husband and their two children. On days when she’s not exploring nature, she’s playing old-time video games, including Dungeons and Dragons (35 years and counting)! Life is...
Slaton Spinks was small when he was born, but he seemed healthy. As the Texas baby grew, however, his parents, Brandee and Kevin, started to note some peculiarities. “He was delayed, and he just did things differently,” Brandee recalls. “He’d do the...
Cole Sparks was never one to complain. The active 12-year-old Long Island boy lived and breathed lacrosse, and his hard work had earned him a place on the local youth travel team. His proud parents, Chris and Marisa, describe him as “stoic,...
Joe and Christine Pecoraro write about their son Caleb, who underwent surgery with Dr. Greenfield for basilar invagination and Chiari malformation.
Ashleigh and Patrick Kennedy spent four years trying to find out why their little girl was so sick. She was already being treated for a blood disorder, but doctors said her headaches were not related to that. Her eventual diagnosis and treatment for...
Sarah and Doug DeMarrais never expected to become champions for Chiari — a condition they'd never even heard of until their daughter was diagnosed. Here is their story.
Kelly, a swimming champ and Olympic hopeful, resisted Chiari surgery until the pain became unbearable. This is her story. I am one of three girls in my family — all competitive swimmers. My parents wanted us to learn to swim after my uncle drowned....
Patti Ventura was shocked by her son's diagnosis, but she transformed her initial shock into determination to secure the best outcome for him. Since that time she's also raised thousands of dollars to help support Chiari research. Here is her story....
Connor was a 15-year-old high school student when he was diagnosed with a severe Chiari Malformation. Here is his story.
