1-year-old Evelyn Ohlsson suffers from a genetic disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), that can cause paralysis, weakness in muscles, and progressive loss of movement.
A young family in Royston, Hertfordshire, is heartbroken after the doctors diagnosed a deadly genetic disorder in their little daughter. The baby was named ‘happy feet’ after her parents discovered that she could only wiggle her feet.
Later, it was disclosed that this cute action of their baby was because of a disease usually detected in babies before they reach six months and restricts a child’s movement because of a decreased muscle tone. Her mother also noticed hypotonia in her baby and discovered many SMA symptoms in her 1-year-old’s behavior.
A very common symptom of this disease was also detected in Evelyn, in which the top of the patient’s chest narrows because of muscle weakness in the rib cage.
This is referred to as a bell-shaped chest. A slight tremor was also unveiled in Evelyn’s tongue. When the mother took her daughter for a thorough medical check-up, she was devastated after the doctors told her about the disease.
The heartbroken mother found it very difficult to tell her husband about their daughter’s disease.
She only told him that it was something severe, and the doctors have called them to the hospital to discuss it thoroughly. The life expectancy of Evelyn is about 2 years only. The baby had a gene therapy in June this year. There are chances that she will improve gradually.
Parents of the little girl Laura and Craig are raising awareness on this deadly genetic disease.
They don’t want others to suffer from the pain they are going through. Their daughter’s smile has kept them strong throughout this duration. Please share this article with people around you and ask them to take care of their loved ones and look out for the symptoms of any diseases if something is unusual in their attitude.