Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Four children in Chunox swabbed for genetic testing

Today, Tyler, Chelisa, Raphael and I revisited a mother and four children living in a very small and worn home in Chunox. Doctors Kathy and Doug had visited this home yesterday on request. Three of the four children (ages 4-14) have some apparent genetic disorder. The oldest, a girl, is severely deformed and completely immobile. She is not expected to live much longer. The middle two children are also becoming immobile and show signs similar to the oldest.

There is little immediate medical help that we can provide. However, on our return trip we swabbed the inner cheeks of each child to take back to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for genetic testing. We hope to be able to identify their disorder and determine if any additional medical treatment can be provided. The mother (8 months pregnant with her 5th child) was very appreciative. It was a very emotional experience.

No comments: