In 2004, Malibu local Linda Fuchser was diagnosed with an angioma on the right temporal lobe in her brain. Cerebral cavernous angiomas are clusters of abnormally dilated blood vessels that are found primarily in the brain, but can be found on the spinal cord, the skin or in the eye.
Now, 12 years later, Linda is leading a charge to raise awareness and money for the little-known disease. Together with her husband Eric Fuchser — her high school sweetheart — Linda will be leading an angioma walk on Saturday.
You may know Eric and Linda from Vintage Grocers, the Western Malibu market the two have been instrumental in operating since 2014.
The Fuschers are encouraging everyone in Malibu to attend A Walk Anywhere on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. The event, which benefits the Angioma Alliance organization, will begin at Zuma Beach at 9 a.m.
Connie Lee, president and CEO of Angioma Alliance in Virginia, said Linda has been instrumental in raising awareness of this rare genetic disease — not only in Malibu, but throughout Los Angeles.
“Linda is and has been a role model for many families that are newly diagnosed,” Lee said. “She is able to beautifully demonstrate to others that they can live well with this disease.”
After her diagnosis, Linda was told to wait it out until her angioma became unbearable or hemorrhaged. In 2007, she became worse and had surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Around three months later, she was told she had another large lesion on her brain stem, which doctors said they could not operate on.
Since these abnormal structures can change in size and number over time, they cause a number of symptoms and medical problems that range from vertigo and headaches to other serious problems such as seizures, strokes, hemorrhages and even death.
Despite these circumstances, Linda continues to work, raise a family, be a wife and role model to people all over who also live with this disease. Linda said she relies on the strength of God and credits God for the stability of her lesions over the years.
“I don’t worry about the illness like I did many years ago,” Linda said. “God put me in this position to come alongside people in this community, which affirmed my faith even more.”
The cause of this rare disorder is not known, but it has been linked to a defect in genetic mutation. Individuals who have this genetic disease have a 50 percent chance of passing the illness to each child. Two of Linda’s daughters have been tested and both have been negative of the gene that causes the disease. Her oldest daughter has not yet been tested.
“This is an illness more common than we think — can be very serious,” Lee described. “The Angioma Alliance is the only national organization that drives for research so better treatment options can be found.”
The standard treatment therapy is surgery, since there is no available drug treatment, even though there are therapies being investigated.
Linda and Eric are thrilled to be part of the community and Vintage Grocers. In an interview with The Malibu Times, they said they always dreamed of having a grocery store where they could buy and sell what they want.
“This community has embraced us and now we are going to show you what we are all about,” said Linda.
The walk will start at the end of Zuma Beach closest to Vintage Grocers and end with a light brunch provided by Eric and Linda under the tent at Zuma Beach.
Linda and Eric said they hope everyone will come out for the walk on Saturday.
“God has given us an amazing life with incredible blessings!” Eric exclaimed. “It may be difficult for some people to truly believe this if you don’t have faith, but Linda has a smile on her face every day and people don’t even know she is sick.”
For more information on the Angioma Alliance, visit
angiomaalliance.org.
