The Goodwins

I wanted to updated everyone on Polly, the Marchenko’s 3 year old daughter with Down syndrome. Last Sunday Polly appeared to have multiple seizures. As she’d never had seizures, she was taken to Children’s Memorial in Chicago, not too far from the church where Sergei Marchenko pastors.  He and his family are our sponsored missionaries for Bonnie and my church adult bible fellowship (’ABF’) group.

The doctors at Children’s Memorial determined that she has Moyamoya syndrome.

In Moyamoya syndrome blood vessels in the brain are abnormally constricted which may lead to clots (thrombosis). To compensate the brain will often develop “collateral circulation” vessels.  Unfortunately these vessels are typically weaker and prone to hemorrhage, aneurysm and thrombosis. Persons with Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis, or sickle cell disease have a higher rate than moyamoya malformations but some studies indicate that it may be also inherited.

Children with Moyamoya may experience strokes and/or seizures. Often these are transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or “mini-strokes” and are often accompanied by muscular weakness or paralysis affecting one side of the body, or seizures.

It appears that our beautiful little Polly experienced at least one TIA and there is some decreased motility of her right leg.  Fortunately the doctors are expecting a full recovery of that leg.

Moyamoya is often treated with medication as well as surgery. While surgery does have risk of additional strokes, in the vast majority of cases the patients are stroke free for a good period of time. Of course there are multiple types of surgery and medications available to manage and treat the symptoms of Moyamoya syndrome.

In regard to Polly, I just learned that Polly will be undergoing surgery in Mid-November.

Please keep Polly and her family in your prayers.