Thanks once again to our friend Kelsey Ferrill, from Canada:http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110223/CGY_syndrome_moebius_110223/20110223/?hub=CalgaryHome:
"A young woman is trying to raise awareness about a rare syndrome that affects her ability to move her facial muscles. Kelsey Ferrill has Moebius Syndrome which is a neurological disorder that affects cranial nerves. She is unable to move her face and finds it difficult to communicate using non-verbal facial movements. "Usually to contact people I don't know, I usually email or stuff like that,' said Kelsey.
Moebius Syndrome is present at birth and those who have it are unable to smile, frown, suck, grimace, blink, or move their eyes laterally. Each person with Moebius is affected in a slightly different way. In Kelsey's case, her face is paralyzed and so is half her tongue.
Other complications may include hand/feet anomalies, respiratory problems, speech and swallowing disorders, visual impairments, sensory integration dysfunction, sleep disorders, and weak upper body strength. Kelsey says because of the way she looks people judge her immediately and even her friend Samantha admits she assumed Kelsey was mentally challenged.
"I feel bad, really bad because I spent 10 years down the street from her, knowing that she lived here, and never saying hi," said Samantha Adair. "Just because you might look different doesn't mean you're any different inside than anyone else," said Kelsey."
Through sharing our stories, one by one, awareness is being raised, all over the world.
"Your past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose
to liberate the future." -Marilyn Ferguson
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