Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

When Pattie Curran and her husband decided to start a family, they didn’t realize the fate that two of their three sons would face, that of Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS). According to Shwachman-Diamond America (SDA), a non-profit organization started by Curran to help fund research for SDS, the syndrome was first described in 1946 as a rare genetic (autosomal recessive), multi-systemic disorder affecting the pancreas, bone marrow and skeleton. For more, see the Saturday/Sunday, April 5 & 6, 2014 edition.