Neurofibromatosis or NF (pronounced neuro-fibroma-tosis), is a term for three distinct medical disorders: NF1, NF2, and Schwannomatosis. NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and can lead to blindness, bone abnormalities, dermal, brain and spinal tumors, deafness, disfigurement, learning disabilities, and excruciating and disabling pain.

  NF can occur both spontaneously or genetically and affects 1 in 3,000 births.

  NF is more prevalent than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Tay Sachs, and Huntington’s Disease combined.

  NF can lead to disfigurement, blindness, skeletal abnormalities, dermal, brain and spine tumors, loss of limbs, severe balance problems, malignancies, learning disabilities, deafness, and intense pain.

  NF research has grown exponentially in the last 20 years spearheaded by The Children’s Tumor Foundation.

  All forms of NF are genetic disorders. They can be either inherited from a parent who has NF or the result of a “spontaneous mutation” in the sperm or egg cell.

  Each child of a parent with NF has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene and developing NF–the type of NF inherited is always the same as the parent, although the severity of the manifestations may differ.

  NF is worldwide in distribution, affecting both sexes equally and has no racial, geographic, or ethnic distribution. Therefore, NF can appear in any family.

These facts were taken from the Facts and Statistics page of the Children’s Tumor Foundation website. The Children’s Tumor Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) medical foundation, dedicated to improving the health and well being of individuals and families affected by Neurofibromatosis (NF).