Every October, we come together as patients, families, physicians, researchers, and partners to spread one message: a simple blood test, run at the right moment, can change everything. This year, that message has a new line at the front of it:
“When symptoms don't make sense. Check Ammonia.”
It doesn't only affect newborns — late-onset urea cycle disorders and other causes of elevated ammonia can surface in children, teens, and adults, both males and females, and are often mistaken for something far more ordinary. Here's how it works:
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Recognize unexplained or unusually severe symptoms: vomiting, lethargy, confusion, or combativeness that doesn't fit a more common diagnosis. This is about pattern recognition, not a long list of new things to fear.
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| Check an ammonia level promptly, with a proper blood draw, run STAT and kept on ice
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| Call a metabolic geneticist to interpret results and guide next steps. Hyperammonemia is a medical emergency.
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Patients, providers, and members of the community are invited to help share the Check Ammonia Awareness Month campaign and its materials widely. Electronic resources are available at CheckAmmonia.com, and you can request printed materials to share with pediatricians, hospitals, emergency departments, and other healthcare providers in your area.
You can also help amplify the campaign throughout October by following and sharing NUCDF content on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
To learn more about the campaign, why ammonia testing matters, and how you can get involved, read our latest NUCDF blog post →.
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Real Families, Real Stories
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This October, we're honoring eleven families who trusted us with their stories. Each one features a child or loved one affected by a urea cycle disorder, told in the family's own words.
Starting this week and running through October 31, we'll share one Family Spotlight at a time on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Some with photos and a fuller story, others as a quote the family chose to share. Every story ends the same way: a reminder of how much earlier recognition and a simple ammonia test can change.
Follow Along on Facebook →
Read Patient Stories →
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The 12th Annual Cure the Cycle Challenge
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Cure the Cycle is next weekend, and there is still time to be part of it.
On October 10, 2026, cyclists will gather in Napa Valley and across the country for the 12th Annual Cure the Cycle Challenge. You do not have to be in Napa to join the movement. Ride locally, create a team, share your fundraising page, or make a donation today.
Our goal is $100,000, and every dollar supports the Cindy Le Mons Fellowship Grant, helping advance promising UCD research and support the next generation of investigators.
You can still:
• Ride with us from anywhere
• Organize a local Cure the Cycle event
• Create or share a fundraising page
• Make a direct donation
• Invite friends and family to support the cause
Join or Give — Cure the Cycle →
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None of this — the Check Ammonia campaign, Cure the Cycle, the stories we get to tell — happens without a community that shows up for one another, year after year. Thank you for being part of it.
Please know that you do not have to navigate any of this alone. We are here to support you this month and always.
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