Happy 11th Birthday, !

[Guest guest]

It's hard to believe, but celebrates 11 years, today, Sept.21. Time for

celebration!

I created because I found a lack of positive information exchange in the

general CMT community. I subscribed to a newsletter and was briefly on a chat

line, but was unimpressed with those venues and information presented. I wanted

more! Therefore, I thought with using email, persons with CMT could virtually

interact with each other, sharing resources, smarter ways of managing symptoms

and research news could instantly span the globe. In addition, was

to be free to all. The original mission of having a positive focus has remained

intact and continues to attract new members.

On this day 10 years ago, there were two of us. We talked to each other. There

were 4 posts that day.

Now our active membership is well over 2,264 persons spanning the globe. 53,000

+ posts later, now everyone's talking to everyone and our posts average between

15 and 25 per day.

We have seen some amazing research developments, such as the first human trials

of NT-3, and more recently Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). In addition, we've

received hope from potential therapeutic research on prolotherapy, gene

silencing, Curcumin and Citicoline supplements,

Myostatin, C-Jun nerve repair, microRNAs, progesterone and stem cell

discoveries, Ruboxistaurim use, heat shock protein mutations, FK506 early muscle

recovery, Innurex and Hedgehog Protein, Dynamin research neuro-regenerative

peptides, and advances in nanomedicine. And now with the excitement of HTS

(High Thoroughput Screening) we're offered new hope for treatment of CMT 1A

within 3-5 years.

We have witnessed the development of more effective medications for pain and

depression. We have been encouraged by health/ exercise studies and helped each

other with disability related issues.

We have established a huge archived database on hundreds of CMT topics, added

important information to our files, established a plethora of helpful links, and

started a booklist that includes good books on neurology and/or living healthy

with a disability.

We created the first-ever CMT awareness ribbon, followed by our logo first class

mail postage stamp http://www.zazzle.com/pd/find/qs-

We have shared our hearts, our lives, photos, needs, wants and dreams; most

importantly, we have shared what we Can Do despite the effects of CMT. `CAN

MANAGE THIS' became our `slogan' from the CMT moniker.

On this day, I have a special dream – that by our 20th birthday, we are still

here, but the discussions will revolve around all the new effective treatments

we're using and how the arrestment of the CMT genetic markers has changed

countless lives. Think it's possible? Of course! So stick around, more will be

revealed!

Gretchen Glick

Founder

[Guest guest]

Happy Birthday ! Thank you Gretchen Glick for all your hard work and your

vision to put together this group. I have read the amazing information and

research and I have shared my thoughts as well as the thoughts of others and it

has always benifited me. I am very thankful for what you do and have done.

Not only has the information posted come a long way so has the internet! I am

sure we will be in a new place in 10 more years. A BIG THANK YOU!

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Gretchen!  was a brilliant idea and I am very grateful for all

your hard work and continuing dedication.  I too felt discouraged in the past by

less than positive information exchanges.  Here I learn new things every time I

log on from you and all the other participants.  It is a bright and shining

light!

Kim