County opens doors to small business loan program
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Family forges path to aid in daughter’s treatment By CATHY COBBS newsroom@northfulton.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Imagine your child having a disease so rare that it doesn’t even have a scientific name, much less a treatment or cure. That’s what Shanna and Terry Tolbert faced when their 6-month-old daughter, Ireland, suffered a seizure that defied explanation or a diagnosis beyond epilepsy. After several traumatic seizures that resulted in Ireland, now 5, being intubated and hospitalized, a genetic test was performed that confirmed a mutation of a gene called CACNA1A was causing her seizures and resultant development delays. “After the diagnosis, we went home to learn more about CACNA1A, and there weren’t any support groups or resources that we could tap into — just some scientific papers that you needed a PhD to understand,” Shanna said. “We finally found a Facebook group with about 100 members in it, and that was one of the first places we could get any real information. We all had this shared frustration — why can’t we find out more about this disease and who can help our kids?”” The Tolberts, who live in the Village Mill subdivision, realized that there was very little research, financial or emotional support for families whose children are diagnosed with CACNA1A. Shanna decided to change that. So she, along with two other mothers, Lisa
CATHY COBBS/CRIER
At left, Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch presents a proclamation declaring Sept. 9 as Bev Wingate Day. Wingate is a longtime volunteer and activist who was instrumental in the creation of the city in 2008.
Ireland Tolbert
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Manaster and Carolyn Anderson, established the CACNA1A Foundation to raise awareness and find a cure for the rare degenerative neurological disease. It received its 501-(c)3 status in June. One of the first steps in accelerating research, Tolbert said, is to gather data on as many people with CACNA1A variants as can be found. “We were so lucky to have found a champion in Dr. Wendy Chung from Columbia University, who is an expert in rare diseases,” she said. “Dr. Chung is leading the way, designing a natural
See FOUNDATION, Page 5
Council weighs latest update on Dunwoody Village rezonings By CATHY COBBS newsroom@northfulton.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — A sweeping set of ordinances that would assign distinct zonings to areas within Dunwoody Village has been set aside, but the City Council plans to review the matter again next month. At its Aug. 24 meeting, the council heard from TSW planner Caleb Racicot about the look and feel of the proposed districts. Plans call for distancing restrictions on banks, as well as bans on drive-through restaurants, car repair shops, gas stations and detached homes. Racicot also discussed feedback from residents of Wynterhall and Branches
neighborhoods addressing the issue of buffers. Residents appear to favor a 150foot average setback over alternate plans that average 75 feet, specifically behind the Publix shopping center, he said. An original plan calling for a 30-foot buffer received “a lot of pushback” from residents, Racicot said. During the public comment portion of the meeting, several residents also voiced support for the 150-foot setback. The City Council expects to consider the matter again at its Oct. 12 meeting. In other matters presented at the Aug. 24 session, the council issued a
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