Jean and Gary Wright
| Counting on the promise of research |
 |
| (From left) Tracy Glauser,
MD, Gary Wright, Christine Wright, Jean Wright, Richard Wenstrup, MD |
For more than three decades, Gary and Jean Wright have pursued
every treatment option to help manage the seizures of their
daughter Christine, now 32 years old. They even moved from
Cincinnati to Florida to be closer to a program recommended by
their physician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical
Center.
Breakthroughs in surgery, medications, diets and implants have
helped others control their seizures, but not Christine, who
continues to have 60-400 seizures each month. Yet the Wrights
remain optimistic that research underway at Cincinnati Children's,
led by neurologist Tracy Glauser,
MD, and geneticist Richard
Wenstrup, MD, will soon improve the lives of children with
seizure disorders. To help advance that research, their family
foundation, Children Helping Research Into Seizures (CHRIS),
recently funded the purchase of equipment that automates DNA
testing, speeding the processing of large numbers of DNA samples
from people with seizure disorders.
"By using this data compiled from people nationwide, doctors
eventually will be able to prescribe the most effective drug to
control seizures based on a person's genetic makeup. Instead of
being hit and miss with prescriptions, they'll be able to take a
more systematic approach. The fact that Dr. Glauser was awarded the
largest NIH research grant for pediatric epilepsy, totaling $17.3
million, shows that Cincinnati Children's is on the leading edge of
this research," Gary says.
"It's very exciting research. I only wish it would go faster,"
Jean says.
Even after they moved to Florida in the 1980s, the Wrights
remained in close contact with Christine's physician at Cincinnati
Children's, Harold Fogelson, MD (now retired), and continued to
make donations for his research. Today they live most of the year
in Florida, but spend several months in Cincinnati. Their time is
devoted to caring for Christine and helping to raise funds for
research into seizure disorders at Cincinnati Children's.
Jean says, "We're doing this not only for Christine, but also
for others who will find more successful treatment because of this
research."
