Ronald Reagan

“ These agencies also play an essential role in informing the health care professions and the general public about neurofibromatosis, about the needs of patients and families, and about the positive actions we can all undertake to ease their burdens. ”

“ Neurofibromatosis is a potentially debilitating genetic disorder that causes tumors to develop in nervous system tissues. It affects one in 3,700 Americans. There are two known types of neurofibromatosis. The great majority of patients have NF-1, characterized by six or more dark patches on the skin and by tumors on peripheral nerves. The tumors can be severely disfiguring and painful and can also result in bone deformations and visual impairment. In the less common NF-2, tumors occur within the central nervous system, usually damaging nerves crucial to hearing and balance. ”