What is cervical fusion?

We went to see the Doctor again on 13/06/08; sad to say, Adnin would need an operation called cervical fusion. The week before, the kids had MRI scan and based on the MRI, they found that there is evident that the spinal cord has been tampered. The piece of bone called the odontoid (that is sticking up between the second and first vertebrae) fails to develop. As the result, the spinal cord is insufficiently protected. Major worry is that compression or squeezing of the spinal cord could lead to sudden death or paralysis after a fall, but, more often, chronic damage leads to a gradual loss of power in arms and legs. At the point of writing, Adnin is okay in terms of movement of the arms and legs although she could not walk that far. Recently, she asked permission to follow the rest of the year 3 pupils to walk to the Albert Hall in Nottingham town. I wrote a note on the permission slip that she could go if someone could take her by car. Otherwise it would be too tiring for her to walk that far.

As for Aqilah, they found that there are traces of mucopolysaccharide build up around her spinal cord. I don't know how severe it is. The doctor is concentrating on Adnin on this matter; Adnin had another special CT scan and we have yet to receive the result.