Welcome to the Home Page of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Ataxia Foundation

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"Welcome to the Louisiana Chapter of the National Ataxia Foundation ... Hope you enjoy the reading and find the information useful ... Please sign our guest book and thanks for visiting!!!"
UPDATED on 12/08/2007

Welcome to the Home Page
of the
Louisiana Chapter of the
National Ataxia Foundation

We are a non-profit organization which was organized in 1978
to serve families in Louisiana affected by hereditary ataxia.
To veiw the list of
The La Chapter's Officers & Board Members for 2006-2007
please CLICK HERE!

" The Chapter's mailing address is:.

Louisiana Chapter of the Nat'l Ataxia Found. [LaNAF]
PMB 51056
2250 Gause Blvd.
Slidell, Louisiana 70461

You can e-mail the chapter at ataxia1@earthlink.net . The chapter telephone is now available weekdays and weekends. The number is 985-643-0783.

The chapter is not fully functioning...but it's on its way..

Thank You,
Carla E. Hagler, President "

Music playing is 'Jambalaya'

The Louisiana Chapter of the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) is an extension of the NAF headquartered in Minnesota. As a part of the NAF, we are also dedicated to the following:

LOCATION:
The Louisiana Chapter of NAF offers a quite unique service to the residents of Louisiana. Each year, the Chapter literally goes on the road to hold free ATAXIA clinics. The purposes of these clinics are to locate those who have ATAXIA, locate those at risk of getting ATAXIA and to afford people the opportunity to seek professional help. These clinics have been held since 1983 under the supervision of Dr. Michael A. Wilensky. For more information, you can contact the Chapter.

EDUCATION:
Educating the public about ATAXIA is at the base of all our work. Before anything can be done, people must have a basic understanding of ATAXIA. The Louisiana Chapter fufills this objective through the mass media, internet, advocacy, newsletter and print literature.

PREVENTION:
At present, there is no cure for ATAXIA. But the option of genetic counseling is open to all persons affected by ATAXIA. The Chapter is able to refer those interested to qualified professionals.

RESEARCH:
In Louisiana there is a special interest in a recessive ATAXIA, known as Friedreich's Ataxia. This interest stems from the fact that because of the high rate of inter-marriage in the Cajun population, this ATAXIA is common. For this reason, Louisiana serves as the perfect study ground for such research into recessive ATAXIA.

An estimated 150,000 people in the United States are affected by hereditary and sporadic ataxias, a group of neurological disorders which are chronic and progressive conditions affecting coordination. They strike without regard to age, gender, or race.

What is ATAXIA?
ATAXIA is a medical term used for incoordination, particularly in reference to walking. There are many different causes of ATAXIA, ranging from simple drunkenness to tumors of the brain to degenerative neurological disease. There are several groups of neurological diseases which tend to run in families. These disorders are collectively referred to as the HEREDITARY ATAXIAS which are classified by the specific areas of the brain and spinal cord that are affected. There are also sporadic forms of ATAXIA which have no known genetic linkage or family history.

What causes HEREDITARY ATAXIA?
The HEREDITARY ATAXIAS are genetic. The various abnormal genes that cause ATAXIA have in common that they make abnormal proteins that affect nerve cells, primarily in the cerebellum (and other parts of the brain) and the spinal cord. (The details are different for the different diseases.) Eventually the affected nerve cells begin to function poorly and ultimately to degenerate. As the disease progresses, muscles become less and less responsive to commands from the brain, causing coordination problems to become more pronounced. There are many genetic causes of HEREDITARY ATAXIA. Over 300 different genetic diseases or "syndromes" have been described that include ATAXIA as a symptom.

What are common symptoms?
Symptoms and time (age) of onset vary according to the type of ATAXIA. Recessive disorders commonly cause symptoms to begin in childhood rather than adulthood (although for reasons that are not well understood, symptoms are not necessarily present at birth or infancy). Dominant ataxia often begins in the 20s or 30s or even later in life. Occasionally, individuals may not show symptoms of one of the dominant ataxias until they are in their 60s. Typically, balance and coordination are affected first. Incooridnation of hands, arms and legs and slurring of speech are other common symptoms. Walking becomes difficult and is characterized by walking with feet placed farther apart to compensate for poor balance. Impaired coordination of the hands and arms affects the person's ability to perform tasks requiring fine motor control such as writing and eating. Slow eye movements or limited range of eye movements can be seen in some forms of ataxia. As time goes on, ataxia can affect speech and swallowing. The HEREDITARY ATAXIAS are degenerative disorders that progress over a number of years. How severe the disability will become and whether the disease will lead to death depends on the type of ataxia, the age of onset of symptoms and other factors that are poorly understood. Respiratory complications can be fatal in a person who is bed-bound or who has severe swallowing problems. Some children with Friedreich's Ataxia develop serious cardiac complications.

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UPCOMING EVENTS
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'The BOD meeting that was scheduled for Sunday, December 16, 2007 is cancelled. It will be rescheduled early in 2008. Check back later for a new date.'

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The 'Cajun Disease'
To view the article CLICK HERE

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*New Addition* 2007 PROCLAMATION from Slidell, La.'
To view: CLICK HERE

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2006 PROCLAMATION from St. Tammeny Parish'
To view: CLICK HERE

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"LaNAF's Quilt Square: Our Contribution to Anniversary Quilt"
To view: CLICK HERE

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Click on the graphic below to send an e-mail to the LaNAF chapter's office for any additional information:

*New Addition* Ataxia Related Links

Louisiana Disability Related Links

Other Area Support Groups'

Assorted Helpful Handicapped Links

NIH CLINICAL CENTER SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

Links to: Articles, Homepages, Pictures, Etc. of Local Members

'A BIG HEARTFELT THANKS TO ALL DONORS'

Your monetary and donations of time and/or prayers are very much
appreciated to continue our mission of raising awareness, education,
and helping families & friends affected by ATAXIA.

It is expensive to keep our chapter going so if you would like to
make a donation please contact our chapter's office.
Any size donation would be greatly appreciated!

Please take a moment and sign our guestbook below
and let us know that you stopped by!
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