Runners to raise awareness of neurofibromatosis effects The Jersey Shore Relay is set for April 19 and some of its participants hope the event will raise awareness of Neurofibromatosis, popularly called NF, a childhood disorder which affects nerve tissue. Among the hundreds of runners will be members of 22 teams who will be wearing bright yellow shirts identifying themselves as supporters of NF awareness. "We hope to paint the course yellow," said John McCarthy, of Holmdel, who along with his wife, Florence, helped to organize the NF teams. The couple is working to spread the word about NF and to support research at the Children's Tumor Clinic, based in New York City. "Our participation in the relay is to raise awareness of the effects of neurofibromatosis, the most common genetic neurological disorder," said McCarthy. "NF is more prevalent than cystic fibrosis, hereditary muscular dystrophy, Huntington's disease and Tay-Sachs combined." Among the 110 NF runners will be members of families and friends of NF patients. One participant, Lisa Quinn, of Greentown, Pa., is a veteran marathon runner. Her 7-year-old daughter, Meadow, is an NF patient. "This will be my first Jersey Shore Relay race," said Quinn. She said a recent local radio station fundraiser brought in more than $45,000 to help purchase feeding-tube equipment at a special school where Meadow is a student. A medical insurance company declined to cover the costs, she added. Another runner will be Diane Raheb, of Holmdel. "I'll be participating because several members of my family suffer from NF," she said. Neurofibromatosis is a condition that may cause learning disabilities, scoliosis, facial disfigurement and tumors on nerve tissue. It also impacts vital nerves and organs potentially leading to loss of vision and death, McCarthy explained. The disorder is often diagnosed in childhood, occasionally in infancy. It equally affects males and females of all races and ethnic groups. There is no specific cure, and while some tumors can be removed through surgery, there is still no sustainable treatment for NF. The disorder is broken down into two types, NF1 and NF2. The first is more common, occurring in one of every 4,000 births and affecting 100,000 Americans. NF2 is rarer and is known as bilateral acoustic neurofibromatosis. Here the tumors usually develop on the patient's ears, causing hearing loss. The Jersey Shore Relay began in 1997 and is coordinated by the Jersey Shore Running Club. It will start in Seaside Heights and continue to Belmar. More information is available on the Internet Web site www.jsrc.org. For the past 11 years, the race has raised funds to support the Monmouth- Ocean County Special Olympics. Some $50,000 has been raised in each of the past two years, according to a press release. The NF teams and their supporters will be hosted at a pasta dinner 6:30 p.m. April 18 at the Belmar Elks, 707 Seventh Ave. For more information on the race, interested persons may call John or Florence McCarthy at (723) 975-9720.