May is NF Awareness Month

Hello, my name is Mia Schwettman and I am 14 years old. I have a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis. My family found out when I was a baby. I have many marks that look like birthmarks, aka, cafe au lait spots. I also have a brain tumor.

Neurofibromatosis is a disorder that can cause tumors anywhere on or within your body. It can cause learning disorders, bony deformities, along with other things. There are three types of the disorder, I have NF1. Although it is genetic, 50 percent of the new cases are spontaneous -- as I was.

I do not let my disorder get me down. I take medicine to manage seizures caused from my brain tumor. I am a high school cheerleader and play volleyball. Although it is not visible to everyone that I have a disorder, that is not always the case for people with NF. The disorder is common, yet many people have never heard of it. NF1 affects 1 in 3,000 births.

It is important to me that people know about my disorder because there is currently no cure, but they are working on treatments every day through research. If you would like to learn more about my disorder, visit www.ctf.org. May is NF Awareness Month.

Thank you,

MIA SCHWETTMAN, Scott City