1 GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES! DESIGNER EYEWEAR SALE! DETROIT Tay-Sachs Screening Test Scheduled Jan. 13 SUSAN GRANT StaflVirriter A F 3 0 % O F OUR ENTIRE STOCK! FERRE MIMI POLICE LU NETTES GUCCI Beau Monde NEOSTYLE® T A X 1 GIORGIO kli_VLANI WE GUARANTEE THE LOWEST PRICES ON EYEWEAR! WEST BLOOMFIELD 626-9590 6667 Orchard Lake Road Bring in Your Prescription & Save! SOUTHFIELD OPTOMETRY gr°61° 647-9790 30800 Southfield Road Bring in Your Prescription & Save! Above prices and discount offers good of West Bloomfield and Southfield stores only. Limited time offer. EXAMINATIONS AVAILABLE! WALK-INS WELCOME! Going Out of Business! LOST OUR LEASE Max MINH' Entire Store Clearance Sale STARTS DECEMBER 26, 1990 ALL SALES FINAL — CASH OR CHECK ONLY SOMERSET MALL 2927 W. BIG BEAVER ROAD, TROY, MICHIGAN 18 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1990 I blood test doesn't ' sound like much, but it could prevent Tay- Sachs disease from striking future generations. Chevra Dor Yeshorim, an organization based in Brooklyn, N.Y, designed to prevent genetic disease, will hold a Jan. 13 Tay-Sachs genetic screening mainly for Torah observant young adults of marriageable age. The tests will be done at Sinai Hospital. The blood sample, which is shipped to New York, is tested in strictest con- fidence, said Reva Rivlin, a Chevra Dor Yeshorim screening coordinator. Unlike at a general Tay- Sachs screening where par- ticipants can learn the results within a few weeks, individual test results are not released. The screening is part of a nationwide effort to prevent Tay-Sachs, an inherited fatal childhood disease commonly associated with Jews of Central and Eastern European (Ashkenazi) des- cent. The likelihood that an Ashkenazi Jew is a carrier ranges between 1:25 to 1:30. In the general population, the figure is 1:300. A child with Tay-Sachs appears normal for the first five or six months, said Robin Gold, a genetics counselor at Sinai Hospital. Then, because the baby lacks an enzyme for break- ing down fats in the nerve cells,•he begins to lose all the abilities he had by that point. As the fat builds up in the nervous system, the baby suffers seizures, goes blind and deaf and becomes paralyzed. There is a life ex- pectancy of four or five years. If both parents are car- riers, there is a 1:4 chance that a child will inherit Tay- Sachs and a 50 percent chance a child might be a carrier of the disease. If only one parent is a carrier, a child can not inherit the disease, but could become a carrier. Although there is no cure for Tay-Sachs, screenings can prevent the birth of a child with the disease. While a general Tay-Sachs screening for the entire community will be held in April or May, this screening is specifically designed for young adults seeking a mat- ch within the Orthodox community, Ms. Goldsaid. Because Orthodox Ju- daism generally does not support abortion and pre- natal testing, screening for the Tay-Sachs gene has become a pre-nuptial matter. "When a couple find out they may pass on the disease, the tendency is to recommend abortion," said Rabbi Shaiall Zachariash of Congregation Shomrey Emunah, who helped estab- lished Chevra Dor Yeshorim in Detroit. "According to Halachah, we can not justify abortion in that case." "We want people to be aware prior to marriage The screening is part of a nationwide effort to prevent Tay- Sachs, an inherited fatal childhood disease commonly associated with Ashkenazi Jews. about the problem," Rabbi Zachariash said. "When a couple is married, Dor Yeshorim does not want to test them at that point. There is no benefit of them knowing if a child will have the disease." Through Chevra Dor Yeshorim, single Orthodox Jews who take the screening test are assigned a number, similar to a serial number. When a couple is thinking about marriage, their numbers are submitted to Chevra Dor Yeshorim's cen- tral file. They will be told whether they can marry without fear of producing a Tay-Sachs child. Mrs. Rivlin knows of no couple in Detroit who were told they were incompatible because of the Tay-Sachs gene. If one of the individuals is a carrier, that information will not be released, she said. "We don't want people to have a stigma," Mrs. Rivlin said. Ms. Gold says there is a charge for the test which will be given from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 13. For an ap- pointment, call Ms. Gold at 493-6060..1