Children’s of Alabama and UAB have announced the creation, upon University of Alabama System Board of Trustees’ approval, of the Sarah Katherine Bateh Endowed Professorship in Rett Syndrome as a result of a unique collaboration with the family and friends of a young patient battling this neurological condition. Marie and Brian Bateh of Hoover, parents of 7-year-old Sarah Katherine “Suki” Bateh, raised $500,000 to create the first endowed professorship for Rett syndrome at UAB. These funds have been matched by Children’s and UAB to support the future holder of this new position.
 
Alan Percy, M.D., professor and director of UAB’s Rett syndrome clinic at Children’s, is considered one of the world’s leading experts on this unique developmental disorder that affects one in every 10,000 female births worldwide. Rett syndrome causes severe cognitive impairment, including loss of communication and motor skills, reduced growth and unusual breathing patterns. Percy is also a national leader in pediatric neurology and genetics, and highly regarded as a clinician and research scientist. Working with genetic researcher Huda Y. Zogbhi, M.D., Percy diagnosed the first confirmed case of Rett syndrome in the United States in 1983.

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