Welcome to the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation and Sturge-Weber Syndrome Community Canada

EN FRANÇAIS

The SWSCC provides information and support in English and French languages.

A worldwide community for individuals and families
living with Sturge-Weber syndrome

VBF/SWSCC Director Tom Gilbert sends a special "Thank You" to the doctors and medical staff who took care of him during his most recent brain surgery. Read "Tom's Journal" to learn more about his surgeries and recovery.

The Sturge-Weber Syndrome Community Canada (SWSCC) is the first website dedicated to the adults and children in Canada living with SWS, and their families and friends.

The SWSCC hopes to promote interest within the Canadian medical community and public-at-large, while helping to improve issues regarding the treatment and diagnosis of SWS and its related symptoms.

Each case of SWS is unique to the individual. The needs of a patient can vary greatly, depending on the symptoms and their severity.

We hope the information provided on this site will prove beneficial to those seeking help and answers about SWS. Please contact the SWSCC if you need further help or information, or if you have any suggestions or comments.

Meet LeiLani - Makeup consultant for VBF/SWSC Canada

LeiLani offers her services free to patients with port wine stain and other vascular birthmarks who feel they would like to wear camouflage makeup.

She works closely with the Burn and Trauma Unit at Vancouver General, along with the Lupus society and Cancer patients. LeiLani also donates a percentage of product sales back to VBF/SWSC and other charitable foundations in Canada.

Click here to learn more about LeiLani, the makeup, and her charitable works.

New Research

Low-dose Aspirin Treatment for Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) Survey

Use of the Atkins diet for children with Sturge-Weber Syndrome

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The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation
along with the
The Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York

Present the 2008 Vascular Birthmarks Conference
and the “Mark of Beauty” Gala

Lisa and Greg Fortunoff, Mark of Beauty Gala Chairs and Sponsors	Edward Strausman 2008 Conference Honoree

We are very excited to announce that the 2008 Vascular Birthmarks Conference will be held in New York City on Saturday, November 15th. This year the conference is one full day only, with a fundraiser the evening before the conference. For the first time in VBF history, we are having the “Mark of Beauty” Gala to jointly benefit VBF and the VBI (Vascular Birthmarks Institute) at Beth Israel. Dr. Milton Waner and Dr. Alex Berenstein are the 2008 Co-Directors of the conference and Lisa and Gregory Fortunoff are the Friday evening Gala Chairs and Event Sponsors. The “Mark of Beauty” Gala will take place at the incredibly beautiful Hudson Theatre located at 145 West 44th Street from 7pm until 10 pm on Friday, November 14th. The conference will take place at the Beth Israel Union Square Auditorium, Phillips Ambulatory Care Center, at10 Union Square East between 14th and 15th Street on November 15th. It will start at 8:30am, with day care drop off and conference registration/check-in starting at 7:30am.

Read more

VBF Names Dr. Alejandro Berenstein Physician of the Year

Alejandro Berenstein, M.D., was named this year’s recipient of the VBF Physician of the Year award for his outstanding and innovative techniques in treating massive, complicated, and often life-threatening vascular malformations and hemangiomas.

Dr. Berenstein is the Director of Beth Israel’s Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN) at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, a state-of-the art facility for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases and complicated vascular malformations and hemangiomas. He is a pioneer in the field of Interventional Neuroradiology, a specialty that utilizes minimally invasive procedures to treat conditions related to the vascular system of the brain, head, face, spine, and spinal cord.

Read More about Dr. Berenstein