The National Center for Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT) Inaugurated at the Safra Children's Hospital, at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer
Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT) is a multi-system, genetic disorder, characterized by cerebella ataxia degeneration) that causes severe disability. The cerebella is concerned with coordination of movement and equilibrium. Children with this disorder appear completely healthy at birth, and on into the first few months of life. At the age of two the disorder usually first manifests, and loss of equilibrium is generally one of the first symptoms of the disorder. This process continues and by the age of ten, the child usually suffers from severe disability, is totally dependent, and requires the use of a wheel chair.
Because AT characteristically involves numerous multi-system aspects, for optimal treatment all of these systems must be treated, and specialists from many branches of medicine will be involved in treatment of the disorder.
Primary Characteristics of the Disorder:
Severe damage to the body's autoimmune system, causing susceptibility to infection, and recurrent incidences of pneumonia.
Tendency to develop Cancer (one thousand times higher than the general population), primarily leukemia and lymphoma
Invalidity
Thousands of carriers of the AT gene disorder and tens of children suffering from AT have been identified in Israel (an average of one out of 100 people are carriers of the gene disorder that causes AT).
Prof. Zeev Rotstein tells us about the vision that led to the opening of the center: "Our goal was to open a multifaceted center with the capability to address the myriad of physical and emotional aspects of this disorder, while promoting research that would be beneficial to patients in the future. Children with this disorder are usually highly intelligent and with proper treatment and support their lives can be significantly longer and they can attain meaningful achievements."
The inauguration ceremony took place on February 2, 2004 at the Safra Children's Hospital (ground floor). The children's achievements were displayed during the ceremony and Rami Kleinstein, the popular Israeli singer, performed. Senior physicians in the AT field also attended and Sheba management was represented as well. And on February 19, 2004 an AT Seminar took place.
