Thank you so much for helping this petition GROW!

I wanted to share a heartwarming story about Lucky, an American teenager with Tethered Cord Syndrome. Like Maddy, Lucky was at risk of permanent paralysis due to her TCS.

Thankfully, Lucky was treated by Dr. Petra Klinge, Maddy's neurosurgeon in Rhode Island-- an international expert in Tethered Cord Syndrome and associated co-morbidities like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Chiari malformation, and more.

From the article:

"The first time Dr. Klinge met Lucky she was in a wheelchair. Because of her symptoms, Lucky had begun using the wheelchair when there was a need to cover longer distances.

“Lucky’s symptoms were ones that occur very early on with tethered cord syndrome, and they were very concerning,” explains Dr. Klinge. “When I heard that Lucky was experiencing these I knew there was something wrong with her tethered cord, and if left untreated, can be very devastating.”

“Tethered cord is a structural and physiological problem of the spinal cord and related anatomical elements that can escape MRI imaging, so you have to be very diligent in looking at the whole person and trusting the person with his or her symptoms,” explains Dr. Klinge. After evaluating Lucky, she recommended surgery.

Lucky was struggling physically to keep up with her peers. “My chronic pain and fatigue caused constant stress. I was really fragile,” says Lucky.

More than a year after Lucky’s surgery, Dr. Klinge says that Lucky, so far, is “a poster child” for tethered cord treatment..."

THANK YOU for supporting this petition, and please keep sharing if you can! 

Love,

Maddy & Paula