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decide whether or not to continue with the pregnancy. Jorden from developing spina bifida, she‘s glad now that it was not detected before birth because she would have then been forced to tion of fuids around the brain. * Jorden was lucky. Though born with the most severe form of spina bifida, the most serious complication she has experienced is a lack of control over her bowels and bladder. So unless you notice she‘s wearing a diaper or see the scar on her lower back, you don‘t know she has spina bifida. After meeting so many other children who have spina bifida, the Gaisers say they feel fortunate that Jorden is as healthy as she disabilities. There‘s no wheelchair, no leg braces and no head swelling, which often occurs when there is excessive accumulaâ€" didn‘t worry . though jorden is 2 because she was having a very normal, healthy pregnancy â€" she (elt good, her blood tests showed no abnormalities and her ultraâ€" sound reports were normal. So, the Gaisers were shocked when on Dec. 6, 1993 their preâ€" cious baby girl Jorden was born with spina bifida. Jorden was taken from her mother almost immediately and transferred to Toronto‘s Hospital for Sick Children where at one day old she underwent surgery to repair the spinal cord. Doctors told her father, who was in shock, to expect the worst. Nine days later Jorden was back home in Cambridge where she appeared to be progressing just like any other newborn. To her parents‘ delight, she continued to develop normally and today Jorâ€" den is just like any other three year old â€" she‘s happy, active, talkâ€" ative. But best of all, she‘s healthy. neural tube closure occurs by the fourth week of pregâ€" the prevention of neural tube defects in babies. However, at that point it was too late to take a folic acid supplement because It wasn‘t until Gaiser was cight weeks pregnant that she found out about the importance of folic acid in Luanne Gaiser someâ€" times wonders if taking folic acid during her pregâ€" nancy would hn: vented her daughter being born with spina Gaiser and husband Fred It‘s Norm‘s 26th Anniversary and he has gone mad sllsbfi’flfill se« You‘ll be shocked at these absolutely unheard of deals Jorden is a healthy child despite having spina bifida. brospinal fluid within the brain Spina bifida is a neural tube defect which occurs when the spimlcolu-nhikwdenlopptmdy,mulfinginvuying mdw-uh'bhwmd-qus- tem. Hydrocephalus is the excessive accumulation of cereâ€" Folic acid, also known as folate or folacin, is one of the cight B vitamins required for a healthy body. Because it is used by all the cells of the body for growth, the daily requirement for folic acid increases during pregnancy and breastfeeding, Since neutral tube closure is complete after 28 days gestation, folic acid supplemenâ€" tation must begin before a woman becomes pregnant in order to be effective, says the SBHAO. Charbonneau said a 1994 study showed that over 50 per cent of Ontarians had never heard of spina bifida, and that studies also show that health professionals are "failing to communicate the benefits of folic acid to women." "Every year hundreds of babies are born with birth defects and one child in every 750 is born with spina bifida, which remains the most common neural tube defect. Many of these cases might have been prevented had these mothers been told about folic acid," Bonnie Charbonneau, president of the SBHAO, said in a Despite the fact that scientists made the link between neural tube defects and folic acid in 1992, the SBHAO says many women are still not aware of the benefits of taking a daily supplement of 0.4 mg of folic acid before conception and during pregnancy. According to the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario (SBHAO), as many as 70 per cent of all cases of neural tube defects are preventable through a daily supplement of folic acid. *â€"40" OFF nomsmawiass. _ Amncem bngiininn iss led uie waieg ied sepnonedieioane e e e e Gold Jewellary . Remember â€" Norm ;gu 305 Frcderick St. (Prederick MalD) Kitehenee _ . 745â€"2771 Mon.Thu. 9- For further informatic Maryâ€"FEileen McClear at Esquire, Bulova, Seiko Watches Men‘s & Ladies‘ Diamond Rings hildren looking for a different type of summer program Cuykhaudhhfl-é-subhh Pocket. Held in the Second Story in Baden, a renoâ€" vated barn which is a centre for the program is designed for children nine to 12 old. Sessions, which begin July 14, will be held 9 a m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday, andwilbzhlbyn“fi*&r&luzagz Participants will find the world of stories at their fingertips 2 they learn to tell stories to amuse their friends and familics. rific m‘mhfdd“ah:;owpb losophy is aimed at prevention, and to to offer help to both parents and children is gratifying." ~ The program comprises two components. of Paremâ€" ing uses a unique approach to support families who wish to parâ€" ticipate in parent education courses, but who have limited means. Parenting gift certificates will be distributed to commuâ€" nity agencies, organizations and schools, which, in turn, offer them to responsive parents. The parents will use the gif certifiâ€" cates to access, at no charge, the broad range of parenting courses provided by Kâ€"W Counselling Services. The Temper Taming Pro gram will receive funds to work with children who have prob ore United Way news ... a im designed to benefit Mbodn p-.“'d“m- of the inan gural Forever Fund grant approved by the United Way of Kiich enerâ€"Waterloo and Area. Kâ€"W Counselling Services will receive $24,000 over three years, including $10,000 in 1997, 10 support its Gift of Parent ing/Temper Taming program. "The excitement surrounding this firstâ€"ever grant has been mounting and we‘re thrilled that we‘re able to support such 5 ierâ€" To D‘u, _',5: & through _ the $ efforts of in Kind _ AP W Canada and orga nizations like Manulife Financial, more than 400 notforâ€"profu agencies across Canada have received isems valuing close to $1 illi The agencies requested items from In Kind Canada and mos of their requests have been met through Manulife Financial. Donations include office desks, filing cabinets, sheiving, an work, video camâ€" #*d m ns dealing with anger. 0 e o a o #09 dilX [s% the program or to regisier, call the parm double i is a reouminan w column