#WATWB: Fighting Uganda’s Nodding Syndrome

A strange illness has been debilitating the children of Northern Uganda. Named Nodding Disease or Nodding Syndrome, it causes the children to nod their heads rapidly and go into severe seizures similar to those caused by epilepsy. The seizures begin when the affected children are presented with food or exposed to cold temperatures. The  children become mentally and physically stunted.

MRI scans have revealed brain atrophy and damage to the regions responsponsible for memory storage and retrieval.

Recent studies have shown that the disease is caused by a water-borne parasitic worm, Onchocerca volvulus, which is also known to cause river blindness.

However, in the beginning, stigma and superstition about the disease prevented the children from receiving proper care and treatment.

Today, for the WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST #WATWB, I share with you the story of one kind-hearted COLLINES ANGWECH, who dedicates her life to taking care of these unfortunate children.

Collines grew up in Northern Uganda at a time when the terrible Lord’s Resistance Army used to make frequent attacks on the villages and kidnap the children to use as soldiers and sex slaves.

Her story is found here.

Collines Angwech, Source: BBC

This is the sixth celebration of the WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST #WATWB which is carried out every last Friday of the month, and which aims to spread love and positiveness in this vulnerable world. A celebration of heroes who can still restore our faith in humanity, especially in this period when our world seems to be full of endless series of horrible happenings.

Our generous co-hosts for this month are: Simon Falk, Inderpreet Uppal, Lynn Hallbrooks, Eric Lahti, and Mary J Giese.

To sign up for We Are The World Blogfest, please see the guidelines below.

~~~GUIDELINES~~~

1. Keep your post to below 500 words, as much as possible.
2. All we ask is you link to a human news story on your blog on the last Friday of each month, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Something like this news  about a man who only fosters terminally ill children.
3. Join us on the last Friday of each month in sharing news that warms the cockles of our heart. No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.
4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD Badge on your sidebar, and help us spread the word on social media. Tweets, Facebook shares, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. More Blogfest signups mean more friends, love and light for all of us.
5. We’ll read and comment on each others’ posts, get to know each other better, and hopefully, make or renew some friendships with everyone who signs on as participants in the coming months.
6. To signup, add your link in WE ARE THE WORLD Linky List

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