Cut-a-thon

This coming Saturday (October 15th) Maggie is hosting a cut-a-thon at her salon, HAIR, m.d., to benefit Down Syndrome.

I am pumped!  It is from 9-2 and Maggie along with her two stylists, Casey & Brittany will be donating 100% of the money raised to the Down Syndrome Research & Treatment Foundation.

Please call and book your appointment at 217-774-3264 - and if you can not come, but still want to donate send checks made out to DSRTF to the address below:

HAIR, m.d.

244 E. Main St.

Shelbyville, IL 62565

 or donate online here in Ollie Faith Reid's name

Fast Facts:

400,000 individuals in the US have Down Syndrome.  Federal funding for Down syndrome research is only $55 per person—that’s as much as 95% less than funding for similar disabilities.

The mission of DSRTF is to stimulate biomedical research that will accelerate the development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, for individuals with Down syndrome in order that they:

• participate more successfully in school;
• lead more active and independent lives
• and avoid the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease

How are Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease connected?

It is an interesting and surprising finding that every person with Down syndrome develops by age 40 the brain pathological changes of people with Alzheimer's Disease. Moreover, most people with Down syndrome in old age - i.e., beyond age 60 - show further cognitive decline. This is a devastating aspect of Down syndrome and one that is quite disconcerting for those that care for elderly individuals with Down syndrome.

The question is how to explain the link between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. There is no certain view at this time. However, some recent findings are very exciting. They point to a specific gene that is present in three copies in Down syndrome, which is known to be linked to Alzheimer's Disease. In ongoing studies, researchers are testing how this gene might contribute to the development of Alzheimer's Disease in people with Down syndrome.