Dr. Steven Cannon, A Man On A Mission

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For those who have Periodic Paralysis, being viewed by others as a “normal” person is something that doesn’t happen much. They are often accused of faking their symptoms of things like paralysis and muscle weakness. Even doctors aren’t always helpful, because they tend to misunderstand the problem and give the wrong diagnosis.

But sometimes, a wonderful thing happens.

There’s a doctor who understands PP and is willing to be a genuinely good listener. Right now, let’s take a look at one of these heroes!

Stephen Caldwell Cannon, M.D., Ph.D. is a neurologist and one of the doctors at the forefront of Periodic Paralysis research. He is currently searching for new mutations of periodic paralysis and possible new treatments. He does extensive research into things that most people don’t know about, mainly the tiny cell parts known as ion channels.

It’s difficult work, but Dr. Cannon is well-equipped with the knowledge and experience to handle it. He has been in practice for over twenty years at places such as Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is the Chair of Physiology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. He has won a long list of awards for his research and has co-authored many publications in medical journals.

All that being said, Dr. Cannon is more than just a highly knowledgeable scientist. He is also someone with a compassionate heart. Dan, a person who is a caregiver for a loved one that suffers from Periodic Paralysis, remembers a vivid and emotional memory of Dr. Cannon. It was when Dr. Cannon was one of the Q&A panelists at a conference. However, it wasn’t his Q&A discussion that moved Dan — it was what he did afterward.

Dr. Cannon graciously took time to sit and talk with a family whose young daughter had a rare condition that hindered her mobility. He wanted to spend time educating them, but also giving them support and resources.

“The gift of time and knowledge that he provided those parents with was priceless,” says Dan.

It’s Dr. Cannon’s compassion that drives him to work so hard to find other mutations of PP and possible new treatments. He has been working on these research projects for years, and it would be easy to simply give up on such a daunting task. After all, he is trying to understand something that most doctors know little to nothing about. But Dr. Cannon is determined to push forward with his research as much as possible.

Now, YOU can be a part of this amazing research!

Join Dr. Cannon in discovering new mutations of PP and helping PP patients. Become a one-time or monthly sponsor and help fund such things as research mice models, or hours of research that are taking place every day in Dr. Cannon’s lab at UCLA. This is an excellent way to make a positive difference on Giving Tuesday and every day.

Consider this:

$30 can sponsor a mouse model for a month.
$30/m can sponsor a mouse model for one year.
$95 can sponsor an hour of research for one type of Periodic paralysis.
$375 can sponsor an hour of research for ALL types of Periodic paralysis.
$5/m from 19 people can sponsor one hour of research every month.
$95/m can sponsor one hour of PP research every month.

Imagine what a few friends can do when they put their donations together?! People who suffer from Periodic Paralysis deserve to have hope. They deserve to be seen and heard and viewed as normal human beings. Every little donation helps us get one step closer to creating that optimism for so many.

Linda Feld, president of the Periodic Paralysis Association, says of Dr. Cannon,

“Steve and all the others see us, not our disease. I applaud Steve and all the others for seeing us as normal people!”

This is the powerful impact of Dr. Cannon’s research.

Will you take part in this journey to help those with PP? With your support and brilliant researchers like Dr. Cannon, we can find the necessary answers for those with PP.

Become a PPA sponsor today!

Spread the word and ask your friends and family to join you in creating a real impact on December 1 by sharing what our mission means to you and why you support our organization. Make sure to use hashtag #GivingTuesday and tag us on social media so we can share too!

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