Chiari awareness walk to take place at Dallas Park this year

Volunteers across the country are planning awareness walks for Chiari Malformation that will take place this weekend and next.

Local Chiari activist Ashley Anderson will be hosting Gaston County’s Chiari Malformation awareness walk this Saturday at Dallas Park, located at 1303 Dallas Cherryville Hwy.

Conquer Chiari, an organization that works to raise awareness and fund research of the condition has chapters nation-wide.

In Gaston County, Anderson took on the role of organizing Conquer Chiari’s Walk Across America last year and this year, though she has volunteered with the organization for a few years.

“I have Chiari,” Anderson said. “So, it’s very near and dear to my heart.”

Chiari is a neurological condition that affects the cerebral spinal fluid, according to Anderson.

The fluid can make a person’s head heavier so that it pushes down on the spinal cord.

There is currently no known cure for Chiari Malformation.

Some common ways of addressing the condition are to have surgery that removes a piece of the skull and relieves pressure, participate in physical therapy, or focus on treating the symptoms, according to Anderson.

It can cause severe symptoms such as seizures, trouble speaking, and more, but it can also cause little to no side effects and go undetected for years.

“Some people have it and don’t even know,” Anderson said.

According to Anderson, Chiari is described as a rare condition, and many people who are affected by it might not have people they can talk with.

The rarity of Chiari can mean that even doctors may not be very familiar with the condition.

Raising awareness with yearly walks helps bring together families that are affected by Chiari and address the lack of community that can be cause by the rarity and lack of knowledge surrounding the condition.

In the spirit of raising awareness on Chiari, the city of Gastonia made a proclamation at the Sept. 5 City Council meeting to recognize September 2023 at Chiari Malformation Month.

Anderson was the recipient of the proclamation.

This year’s walk in Gaston County will start at shelter number one at Dallas Park.

Same-day registration for this walk will begin at 9 a.m., and the walk itself begins at 10 a.m.

The walk is open and free to anyone who would like to participate.

There will be music, food, and a raffle at the event.

Those interested in participating in the raffle are encouraged to bring cash to enter. Anyone interested in registering ahead of time can do so at walk.conquerchiari.org.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Chiari awareness walk to take place at Dallas Park this year