I was born with spina bifida in 1964

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I was born with spina bifida in Philadelphia in 1964. My doctor was Eugene Spitz. Prenatal surgery was not done then and shunt surgery for hydrocephalus was relatively new (i.e. spina bifida was much scarier then than now). I required shunt surgery at birth to prevent hydrocephalus.

People with shunts usually lead normal lives and can accomplish great things. Some even excel more than most, perhaps out of gratitude for being alive. It is scary for the parents in the early years, but in the long run the person born with spina bifida will be able to accomplish whatever he/she wishes.

I have a B.S. in finance from Miami University in Oxford Ohio (one of the top undergraduate business schools in the country and not affiliated with Miami University in Florida) and a B.A. in liberal arts from the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati Ohio. The only restriction I have is that I could never be a tightrope walker. Shucks! :) I am told that I have a slightly unusual walk that is barely noticeable. I am not crippled in any sense of the word.

Other than myself, I know of one spina bifida person who became a teacher and one who became a neurosurgeon.

Please pass this on to comfort any expectant parents who have just learned that their unborn baby might have spina bifida. And God bless them and their child.

Thanks,

John Munnis, Jr. Maineville, Ohio

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