Shining a light on Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month, shades of green and blue lit up Little Rock's Big Dam Bridge last week in an attempt to further illuminate conversations on what the disorder is and who it impacts.
This marks year eight of the city's efforts to shine green and blue lights from the bridge for NF.
"Getting the word out there is important for a couple different reasons," Katie Holt, with the Children's Tumor Foundation, said. "It lets people with NF know that they aren't alone in this. They have resources. They have people to talk to and people they can connect with."
NF is a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, according to information provided by the tumor foundation. According to the site, the disorder -- which affects one in every 3,000 births -- can lead to blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning challenges, disabling pain or cancer.
Holt also highlighted the significance of national NF1 awareness day, which was May 17.
"May 17 is the national NF1 awareness date because the gene mutation is on the 17th chromosome," Holt said.
An Arkansas native, Holt, 31, was diagnosed with NF when she was 9.
"When I was 5, my parents took me into my pediatrician because they saw the café au lait spots on my arm and on my neck," Holt said. "Café au lait spots are very common with NF and are one of the key diagnosing factors. My mom went to the doctor, and he told her...you know, that's just an old wives' tale and that she had nothing to worry about."
Then, just four years later, Holt was correctly diagnosed at the age of 9.
"Fast forward, I was 9 years old and went to the dermatologist for dry skin issues," Holt added. "[The doctor], very concerned at the time, said 'you need to have this checked out.'"
Holt said the beginning of her journey with NF as a child is the reason she remains passionate for increasing awareness.
"We were misinformed when I was 5 and missed the diagnosis," Holt said. "I want to bring awareness to this so that nobody has to go through that."
She added that efforts like lights on the bridge create a space for conversations about the disorder to expand and to continue.
"Little things, like with the bridge, are really fun to do, because you can get out there on social media and say 'look, the lights are blue and green' or have conversations with your buddies that are wondering why the bridge is lit up with those colors," she said. "You can go into details on the Children's Tumor Foundation: what the colors mean and what the disorder is. It's just like a little open door that you can use to spark conversation."
Pulaski County Director of Communications Madeline Roberts also shared comments on the bridge and its various colors and meanings.
"Pulaski County Government changes the color of the lights on the Big Dam Bridge throughout the year to celebrate holidays, and most importantly, to show support for various causes that are important to our community," Roberts said. "We always want to support our citizens. The Big Dam Bridge is a special way we can do that."
Holt also highlighted other NF awareness efforts by the city coming later this year.
The city of Little Rock in September will be hosting its annual "Dancing with Our Stars" gala event -- which aims to raise awareness, raise funds and get "prominent people from the community to help really push this goal forward," Holt said.
Located at 101 West Markham St., the gala will take place on Sept. 7 in the Wally Allen Ballroom.
The Children's Tumor Foundation DWOS tab said the event "brings together community 'celebrities' who compete against each other in fundraising and in a dance competition to bring home the championship trophy and the best performance trophy. The foundation hopes to raise more than $350,000 to fulfill its vision of ending NF."