News Releases

Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital Receives Grant from Christopher Reeve Foundation

Houston, Texas, February 13, 2006 – The Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF) recently awarded the Memorial Hermann Foundation a grant for Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital to study treatment outcomes for children with Chiari malformations who sustain spinal cord injuries.

Stephen Fletcher, M.D.

“Chiari malformations involve brain tissue extending down into the spinal canal. This crowding in the canal increases pressure and inhibits the flow of spinal fluid,” explained Stephen Fletcher, D.O., chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital and section chief of pediatric neurosurgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. “Physical injuries can cause even more compression and magnify the problem.”

The $12,500 “Quality of Life” grant will fund surveys of Chiari patients with spinal cord injuries and help establish a database for further research. Additional, annual funding will be sought to continue the five-year program, said Dr. Fletcher, the study’s primary investigator.

CRF grants are given to programs or projects that improve the well-being of people living with paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries.

 “I continue to be impressed and excited by the diverse, pioneering programs that CRF supports through the Quality of Life grants,” said Kathy Lewis, CEO of the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

The Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital award is a Health Promotion grant, a special category of Quality of Life grants funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Funding is awarded to nonprofit organizations that address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries, diseases and birth conditions. Health Promotion grants strive to remove societal and environmental barriers that limit the abilities of individuals living with paralysis to participate in life activities. Participation in such activities improves physical and emotional health and prevents the development of secondary problems.

To learn more about Chiari malformations, you may watch an archived webcast of Dr. Fletcher performing a surgical procedure to treat the condition.

To view the webcast, visit www.or-live.com/memorialhermann/1327.

For more information, contact Media Relations.