DIPG leaves kids mentally intact but steals essential bodily functions, depriving a child of the ability to walk, stand, eat, drink, and even talk. Initially, children with DIPG commonly experience double vision, reduced eye movement, facial weakness or asymmetry, and arm and leg weakness.
As the tumor progresses, it interferes with breathing and heartbeat, which is ultimately fatal.
DIPG is not known to be hereditary, meaning it is not passed down from parent to child. The genetic mutations that cause DIPG are also not known to be environmentally influenced, meaning there is nothing a parent did or did not do that caused DIPG to occur in their child.
DIPG is a classic example of a developmentally based tumor because it is influenced by particular cells that are present in the highest concentrations while the brain is developing. This theory is supported by the fact that DIPG/DMG most often occurs during middle childhood, a period in which the brain develops significantly.
Although researchers have made tremendous strides in understanding DIPG/DMG, the disease structure is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the causes.
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