On the 10th anniversary of the Institut Chiari & Siringomielia & Escoliosis de Barcelona, Dr Miguel B. Royo Salvador thanks collaborators and patients’ associations for their support in the fight against the Filum Disease.

> Good morning Dr Royo Salvador

Good morning

> This year, 2018, is the 10th anniversary of the Institut Chiari de Barcelona. We know that there are organizations and collaborators that have contributed a lot to the growth of the Institut in these years. Would you like to send them a message?

Yes, thanks for the question. I would like to mention the names of the people who have supported us in the project, which is mainly the dissemination of the discoveries we have made in our research, especially the fact that we have discovered a disease that affects all human being. It is our purpose to help all patients suffering from this disease and its different forms and manifestations. There are some people who have helped us in a better way and have adapted to the criteria that we have developed to achieve our purpose and I would like to name these people who have helped us most, mainly in our journey to help others.

So I will use a note for not forgetting any: especially the head professors of Human Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona), led by emeritus professor Jose Maria Domenech Mateu and the current head professor Dr Alfonso Rodriguez Baeza, both patrons of our Chiari & Scoliosis & Syringomyelia Foundation. With the emeritus professor, I started the investigations of everything we have done so far and it was around 1975 and from then until now they have helped us to understand the functional, anatomical and mechanical role of everything that this Filum Disease entails.

I would also like to thank our collaborators in Barcelona, our trusted anesthesiologist, Dr Gabriel Ollé, with all the anaesthetists’ team of the CIMA hospital, Dr Antoni Hernández from the Corachan Clinic and all the Spanish collaborators, especially Dr Antonio Victoria Ramírez.

Similarly, in Italy, I want to mention, in an especial way, the name of Centro Medico Mantia de Palermo, led by Doctors Roberto and Fabrizio Mantia, which is our reference centre for the rehabilitation of our system Filum System^®.

Also, I would like to mention about Hospital Regional AMG Centrum Medyczne of Ryki, Lublin, Poland, with professor Krzysztof Turowski and Dr Marek Wójtowicz, reference persons for the diagnostic and Filum Disease post surgery control in Poland.

In Italy, I would like to thank Dr Francesco Croce, to the Dr Giacomo Caruso neurosurgeon, to Dr Filippo Iafanti, also to Dr Patrick Ghigny from Belgium.

In a very special way, I would like to thank lawyer of Barcelona Joana Marín Fonseca, lawyer and patron of our Chiari & Scoliosis & Syringomyelia Foundation, who has supported us both personally and with legal advice in all our activities of the Foundation.

And also to the lawyer Begoña Guerrero who, through her law firm, has allowed us to carry out all the legal, tax and representation actions with maximum transparency.

I would also like to thank the consultancy Biconsulting, to Mrs Diaz and Mr Landecho, whose direction has allowed us to accredit our investigations among them the accreditation from the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Research.

I also want to thank Doctoralia along with Dr Frederic Llordachs, who has helped us to have a medical vision, has helped us in the dissemination of our Institute at the level of medical visits.

I want to thank the patients’ associations in a very special way. It is really interesting that patients’ associations do a great job and all of it in a totally altruistic way. They have a dilemma, a decision to make: support people or support doctors they trust. And in this way, they also support their projects.

Without any doubt, the association that has supported the most and supports our projects, with the guidelines to help everyone, regardless of their personal interests, is the International Association AI.SAC.SI.SCO Onlus, based in Italy and another office in France. I would like to send a very affectionate greeting to the current President Marisa Toscano, who has understood very well from the beginning what our purpose is. It is not the particular interest of a group of Italian patients who are interested in being operated, but she has understood that by supporting us, she supports us in the international project of diffusion of the new concept of the disease and thus helps others in the best way.

In the same way, I want to name and thank the Opération Olivier à Barcelone Association, which is currently called Arnold Chiari Syringomyelie Alternative formed by Mrs. Brigitte Causeret and Nathalie Pagé, who have always shown an undoubted interest in our work and thanks to this association we have participated in the health policy of France, involving 13 deputies of the French National Assembly. I also want to thank Ms Emmanuelle Tarquini, Ms Laurence Guillois and Ms Cécilia Merlo from the On Bouge Pour Arnold Association. And also to the Team Gazelle Renegades of Emmanuelle and Cécilia who, through the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, have helped in dissemination our Filum System^® method. Also, I would like to mention the name of Association Coup De Pouce Pour Lilou, which is created by the parents of a patient operated, to raise funds for the intervention of his brother Bastien. They have also helped other patients to get the reimbursement and the necessary help for the treatment here in Barcelona.

And also I thank the Norwegian Association Chiari & Syringomyeli Norge for their contributions and their help provided to patients from Norway in getting closer to us and get the treatment that can help them more in their diseases of Chiari and Syringomyelia and idiopathic scoliosis.

Thank you all and I hope for your help to spread the word about our discovery in the best possible way.

>Thanks a lot Doctor.

Thank you.