Miami CMT article

September 18, 2003

(We might have missed this one Posted on Tue, Mar. 18, 2003)

Miami Herald

House's mother fights genetic numbing disease

BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ

For the past several years, Debbie Buck, the mother of Heat guard Eddie

House, thought she was just a klutz, constantly tripping or losing her

balance.

Buck has since learned she has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, the same

disease that has likely ended the career of Philadelphia 76ers center

Todd MacCulloch.

CMT is a neurological disease that causes damage to the peripheral

nerves, in some cases wasting those nerves. It's not life threatening.

''I don't have much feeling below my knees,'' Buck said.

Buck's main concern, though, after she was diagnosed by doctors at the

University of Iowa, was that the genetic disease had been passed on to

her sons.

''I wanted to make sure because I have three sons who are breadwinners

in their family,'' she said. ``And one plays professional ball and

depends on his legs. I can't have him going through what I'm going

through.''

Buck was told she does not have the gene that would pass on the disease

to her children. But there is no cure for the disease, so Buck continues

to struggle with everyday tasks such as climbing stairs. She sometimes

wears braces on her legs to help maintain her balance.

Buck said she doesn't try to burden her children with her problems, but

House does want to help his mother get a second opinion.

MacCulloch, meanwhile, is still dealing with the suddenness of it all.

''It's been really difficult for me,'' he said.

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