Dear Grace

Dear Grace is an Irish letter writing competition for 5th and 6th class students nationwide."The Grace Nolan Foundation" is a non profit organisation and registered charity formed by Michael and June Nolan in November 1999, and was inspired by the short but ebullient life of their daughter Grace, who died, aged 9, from hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).

Every year, the competition is held between September and October, where 5th and 6th class students write to Grace and tell her of their past year. 10 top letters will win their class a day-out to the Helix, Dublin for an award ceremony. The winners will also get a commemorative plaque and win a computer for their classroom. As well as that, 25 top letters (including the 10 winners) will be printed in the upcoming volume.

HHT

HHT is a genetic disorder, which affects blood vessels. This disorder is worldwide affecting males and females of all races and ethnic groups. Up to 1/3 of HHT patients can have multiple organ involvement, which can be disabling and or life threatening. HHT can be treated successfully if correctly diagnosed.

The disorder is also sometimes referred to as Osler-Weber-Rendu (OWR) after several doctors who studied HHT 50-100 years ago. In 1896 Dr. Rendu first described HHT as a hereditary disorder involving nosebleeds and characteristic red spots that was distinctly different from hemophilia. Before Dr. Rendu's work, doctors did not understand that individuals with what we now call HHT have an abnormalities of their blood vessels, not a clotting problem in the blood itself. Drs. Weber and Osler reported on additional features of HHT in the early 1900s. One hundred years later, HHT is still often misdiagnosed in affected individuals and many doctors do not understand all of its manifestations.

External links

* [http://www.gracenolan.com The official Grace Nolan website]

http://www.hht.org/