Support groups offer help

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      The Muscular Dystrophy Association offers free support groups in the Las Vegas area for individuals and their families affected by any of 40 neuromuscular diseases, including muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).
      The groups meet regularly and are designed for individuals living with muscle-wasting diseases and their families.
      "MDA support groups are a vital link for the million Americans living with muscle-wasting diseases," said Kathy Williams, MDA regional director. "Whether you're the parent of a child just diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the spouse of someone living with ALS or an adult with any neuromuscular disease, the professionally facilitated groups provide a haven for sharing support, research updates and helpful information."
      In the regional area, MDA support group meetings include:
      General Support Group, facilitated by Dominique Morrow. The group meets monthly on Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., at Rehabilitation Hospital of Nevada, 1250 S. Valley View Road.
      ALS Support Group, facilitated by Daniel T. Shiode, Ph.D. The group meets monthly on Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., at Rehabilitation Hospital of Nevada, 1250 S. Valley View Road.
      Area residents and family members affected by neuromuscular diseases can also participate in informal MDA-facilitated "Phone Friends" networks and take advantage of MDA's extensive online services, including its helpful "Ask the Experts" feature at www.mdausa.org. More than 200 of the world's leading physicians and scientists participate in "Ask the Experts," providing authoritative responses relating to neuromuscular diseases.
      MDA support groups are funded in part by proceeds raised during the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, broadcast locally on KLAS-TV, Channel 8. The linchpin in MDA's grass-roots efforts, the Labor Day telethon also helps MDA fund worldwide research for cures and treatments for neuromuscular diseases, offer comprehensive medical services for affected families and provide far-reaching professional and public health education.
      Individuals who would like more information on attending an MDA support group are encouraged to call MDA Program Services Coordinator Amy Hernandez at 822-6920.
      MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive patient and community services and far-reaching professional and public health education.
      Recognized by the American Medical Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award "for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity," MDA maintains 230 hospital-affiliated clinics that offer families the best in care for progressive neuromuscular diseases. In Nevada, MDA maintains two clinics, including the University of Nevada School of Medicine MDA clinic in Las Vegas.
      MDA annually funds some 400 scientific teams worldwide. These investigators have made significant advances toward cures for several muscle-wasting diseases. They also have pioneered breakthroughs that may lead to therapies for heart disease, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's and cystic fibrosis.
      Those interested in MDA clinics can call (800) 572-1717, or visit the MDA Web site at www.mdausa.org.
      MDA programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors.