The disease is named after the French physician Prosper Meniere who, in 1861, linked a particular kind of hearing loss to a lesion of the inner ear. Unfortunately this enlargement cannot be seen or measured with absolute certainty during the llifetime of a human being. It ended Alan Shepard's career as an astronaut. A person who suffers from Menieres Disease can experience some or all of the above symptoms.
Some people have vertigo attacks that are so bad that they are completely disabled by the disease.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that about 545,000 in the U.S. had Menieres as of 1998 and that 38,250 people are diagnosed each year. There are no known causes or cures and only limited treatment options available. The Awareness Flight, as the name implies, is intended to raise awareness and gain attention nationwide for the thousands of people who battle Menieres Disease daily. Our goal is to attain adequate support, both monetarily and through corporate donations of the aircraft and other necessary equipment, to launch our campaign at Oshkosh this year. We hope to cover the Capitol cities of 48 states in an ultralight, preferably a helicopter or gyro, discuss the disease with the media and visit the leaders of each state.