Desiree Thompson recently turned three years old – and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office (TSCO) planned a big surprise for her. You see, Desiree, who has epilepsy and lissencephaly, absolutely adores the sound of music – and of police sirens! Her mother, Deanna, shares that nothing in the world makes Desiree laugh or crack a smile so much as the sound of sirens.
So when Desiree’s birthday was on the horizon, Deanna reached out to a family friend: Deputy Richie Gonzales. According to Fox23 News, who first reported about Desiree’s birthday experience, Deanna asked whether she and Desiree would be able to get up close to the police cars to hear the sirens first-hand.
Deputy Gonzales was more than happy to oblige! So Deanna and Desiree went to spend some time together and hear some sirens. Deanna has shared videos and photos of Desiree next to the police car, dancing and smiling as the siren sounds. For Deanna, it means a lot not only to see the outpouring of love and support for her daughter, but to remind people that even small actions can make a huge impact.
About Lissencephaly
Lissencephaly, which means “smooth brain,” is a rare congenital brain malformation. Normally, our brains have gyri – folds or bumps – and sulci – indentations or grooves. However, in lissencephaly, the gyri and sulci are either absent or fail to develop properly. As a result, the brain seems to appear as abnormally smooth. Lissencephaly may appear in conjunction with another condition, such as Miller-Dieker syndrome or Norman-Roberts syndrome. However, it may have other causes, such as viral intrauterine infections, insufficient blood flow to the brain during fetal development, or underlying genetics – such as LIS1, XLIS, or TUBA1A mutations. There are over 20 forms of lissencephaly; because of this, symptoms vary highly from person-to-person. Potential symptoms can (but do not always) include:
- A small jaw
- Slight indentation of the temples
- Difficulty swallowing
- Developmental delays
- Muscle spasms
- Congenital limb differences
- Failure to thrive
- A smaller-than-average head circumference
- Severe intellectual disability
- Seizures
