Elaine McEnery cont'd...
"Richard is my hero,” said Elaine McEnery of her husband. “I love him dearly and would do anything for him.”
Richard’s dystonia began in his legs at the age of 16. He wasn’t officially diagnosed until age 28 when his stepbrother was also diagnosed. Over the years, tremors began to affect his neck and hands, making simple tasks like working at a computer and writing difficult or virtually impossible.
Elaine McEnery is climbing Mt.
Rainier, an active volcano.
For four years, Richard received regular botulinum toxin injections with limited success. Shortly after discontinuing the injections, he came across a magazine article that described the dramatic benefits of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for a young man in Australia. After extensive research about the procedure and consulting the neuroscience team at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, he was convinced that DBS was the best option to control his symptoms.
The benefits of DBS for dystonia are not immediate. It can take weeks or months for symptoms to begin improving. Richard is still in the recovery period, and he and Elaine are hopeful that the procedure will prove successful. Meanwhile, the need for better treatments and a cure remains urgent, and the McEnerys are doing their part to support research. Elaine is climbing Mount Rainier to raise money for research! Click here to sponsor her. Designate your donation to "Mt. Rainier Climb for a Cure." Read page 1 of the McEnerys' story Meet other "People on the Move"
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