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This Week
North Phoenix woman shares Celine Dion’s agony BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor
W BUSINESS.......... 12
Sweet Aya Bites’ tiger nut snacks roar into Sprouts
FEATURES......... 18
Mick Adams satisfies Rolling Stones fans
YOUTH.............. 21
Lucas Harrison made the dean’s list at Belmont University
OPINION.......................8 BUSINESS.................. 12 FEATURES................. 16 YOUTH....................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS............. 22 Zone I
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
hen singer Celine Dion was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, Melissa Meyer was sad but relieved. The North Phoenix resident said she didn’t feel so alone. Meyer and Dion suffer from the syndrome, a rare, progressive neurological disorder. Symptoms may include stiff muscles in the torso, arms, and legs; and greater sensitivity to noise, touch and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. “I had mixed emotions,” she said. “I felt really sad for her. In her video, it seemed like she had so much emotion and hope. I remembered what it was like to be there. There’s just so much unknown about it because it’s rare.”
Stiff person syndrome affects twice as many women as men, and is frequently associated with other autoimmune diseases such as type-I diabetes, thyroiditis, vitiligo and pernicious anemia. Scientists don’t yet understand what causes stiff person syndrome, but research indicates that it is the result of an autoimmune response gone awry in the brain and spinal cord. Stiff person syndrome is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, psychosomatic illness, or anxiety and phobia. A definitive diagnosis can be made with a blood test that measures the level of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies. “I burst into tears when I heard the news about Celine Dion and SPS,” said
see AGONY page 4
Melissa Meyer was diagnosed in July 2020 with stiff person syndrome, a rare, progressive neurological disorder. (Submitted)
Phoenix moves toward tougher water use regulations BY PAUL MARYNIAK Foothills Focus Staff Writer
P
hoenix City Council on Jan. 18 directed city staff to begin developing tougher water conservation requirements for new developments. Those requirements could include higher standards for pools as well as separate meters for them and all outside
water use, a requirement that large consumers recycle at least 30% of their water on-site requirements for more detail on conservation plans in zoning applications. But Councilmember Laura Pastor also urged city staff to begin working on more rigorous conservation requirements for existing water users, stating, “We’re in a
bigger crisis than what we think we are. “I also want to look at current development … and what industries we would like to attract that don’t require a lot of water usage,” she said. Councilmember Debra Stark agreed, telling Water Services and city planning
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