56 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
No Limitations
By Lindsay McCall
A
s Sydney Collier sits on her tack box waiting to warm-up she
giggles with her fellow para-dressage riders. Sydney, of Ann
Arbor, Michigan, is a smiling 15-year-old that has propelled
her way through the para-equestrian dressage ranks. In only one year
her passion and skill in dressage has taken her from newcomer to a
seasoned Young Rider.
Sydney has faced challenges due to her rare congenital disorder, Wyburn-
Mason Syndrome, which has created a lifetime of doctor visits, constant
monitoring, physical therapy and an unsteady gait. Despite these obstacles,
Sydney remains the same horse crazy girl that can’t wait to get to the barn fve
days a week for her riding lessons.
At age seven Sydney was diagnosed with Wyburn-Mason Syndrome after
she began having blurry vision. The syndrome is a rare, congenital disorder
characterized by arteriovenous malformations in the central nervous system
and retina. It affects only .14% of the word’s population and can cause brain
hemorrhaging, stroke, paralysis or death. Originally Sydney’s disorder was
diagnosed as untreatable but through a group of doctors at Stanford University
Hospital she has continued to receive experimental treatments.
Though there is not a specifc treatment for Wyburn-Mason Syndrome,
Sydney and her family remain positive. Due to the consequences that a major
bleed could cause, Sydney and her family have
elected to be proactive with her treatment. Sydney
is a test case and will help pioneer treatment for the
next person to be diagnosed.
Since Sydney’s diagnoses she has faced multiple
challenges but continues to ride and train with
her horse. At age eight Sydney began a series of
medical treatments and hospitalizations. Sydney lost
all vision in her right eye and suffered a stroke that
caused loss of use on her left side. It took countless
hours and dedication for Sydney to relearn how to
walk and use the left side of her body. Sydney noted,
“I have experienced more than the average person
Sydney and VPRH Pegasus vom Niehaus-Hof owned by Patrick Truxillo.
Sydney wears a yellow armband to signify her lack of sight in her eye.
e
Para-Equestrian
Sydney wears an un-velcroed brace to support her left
arm when riding and uses a walking aid to help with her
balance.
All photos by Lindsay McCall
Continued on page 58
Life-Threatening Disorder Doesn’t Slow
Down Para-Dressage Teen