This semester, the Triangle Fraternity will focus its philanthropy project on a group of people with a fairly unknown condition — Chiari malformation.
A member of the engineering, architecture and science-focused fraternity, Mark Pratt, was diagnosed with Chiari as a kid. The group has decided to rally around Pratt to raise awareness.
Affecting roughly one in 1,000 individuals, the condition is “an enlargement of what’s called the foramen magnum, and that’s the hole in the bottom of a person’s skull where your spinal cord joins into your brain,” Pratt said.
This can cause the cerebellum, a part of the brain, to “sag really close to this hole,” and, in some cases, protrude into where the spinal column runs up, Pratt s. This results in pressure on the brain stem and can affect balance, coordination and block the flow of spinal fluid.
Austin Gamblin, director of facilitation for Triangle Fraternity, became interested in raising awareness for Chiari after hearing of a family friend who passed away from the condition. After proposing the idea to his fraternity brothers, Gamblin learned Pratt had the condition, cementing their philanthropy cause.
“Matching [Triangle] with something that’s really personal to me, I was ecstatic,” Pratt said.
In some cases, Chiari can be caused by some sort of trauma. In most cases, however, those ailed by the condition take everyday precautions, such as staying away from contact sports and keeping hydrated.
“I’m thankful [that] it doesn’t [affect my daily life],” Pratt said. “It can be very debilitating.”
Anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 Americans are affected by Chiari, according to ConquerChiari.org. Although there is no known cure, Gamblin hopes to help those with the condition by raising awareness and ultimately funding research for better surgery.
Gov. Gary Herbert declared Sept. 19 Utah’s “Conquer Chiari Day.” This coincides with the 2015 Conquer Chiari Walk Across America event.
“We’ll be having activities throughout the week before the walk,” Gamblin said.
The fraternity has planned a barbeque for Sept. 14 and a game night on Sept. 16. During the week, people can donate to the cause and sign up for the walk in support of the fraternity and those affected by Chiari.