Gift & Giveback: Elise's Corner

We’re excited to announce that for August, Something Splendid Co. will be donating a portion of all sales to Elise’s Corner! Dedicated to spreading awareness of Alexander Disease (AXD), Elise’s Corner is where love and hope meet to find a cure. It is named after Jennifer and Chris Bonsky’s 3-year-old daughter, Elise, who received an official diagnosis in November of 2014. Their primary mission is to aid research efforts that will identify treatments, therapies, and ultimately a cure for AxD and other Leukodystrophies. In addition to creating a support network for individuals, families, and friends affected by AxD.

What is Alexander Disease? It is a progressive and fatal neurological disorder in which the destruction of white matter, specifically myelin sheaths, in the brain. The lack of which leads to impairment of the nervous system. It is also accompanied by the formation of abnormal deposits known as Rosenthal fibers. Rosenthal fibers are aggregations of protein that occur in astrocytes, one of the so-called “glial” cells of the central nervous system. Classification has been proposed, with only two categories of type I and types II, with the distinction hinging more on distribution of lesions and clinical presentation rather than the age of onset (all type I cases being early-onset, and type II cases occurring at all ages).