Altoona Regional Office has named Tyler James Dupirack as the 2000-2001 Goodwill Ambassador. CdLS was named for Dr. Cornelia de Lange, a Dutch pediatrician who wrote a paper in 1993 describing two children with similar features. At present there is no single criteria which definitely establishes a diagnosis of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome.
Diagnosis depends on the presence of a combination of characteristics.
Children with CdLS strongly resemble one another. The head and facial features include small head size, thin eyebrows, which often meet at the midline, long eyelashes, short upturned nose, or low-set ears. At present, the cause is not clearly known, although it is suspected that a gene or gene region, possibly located on chromosome number three, may be responsible. Tyler began receiving services from Home Nursing Agency's Early Intervention program after he was diagnosed with CdLS, which included physical, occupational and speech therapies and special instruction from Child Development Specialists. Tyler turned 3 in July and is now receiving therapeutic services through Easter Seals and the Altoona School District.