Kathleen
At her birth in1993, the difference in her big toes was noticed by her parents, but the doctor didn’t know the significance. At five months old, the health nurse was measuring how long Kathleen was when she noticed that she couldn’t straighten her left leg all the way. After an x-ray it was noticed that she had a lump in her leg from her immunization needles. The first specialist thought that she had myositis ossificans and at two years old she had surgery to remove most of the lump. After some months of physio therapy to strengthen her leg, the lump had grown back and finally at the age of four, we had a correct diagnosis of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).
At age eleven, she went to visit Dr. Fred Kaplan in Philadelphia, who is one of the best FOP doctors around. As there is no cure at this time for FOP, we can only hope that research will find a solution in time for individuals affected by this rare disease.
Kathleen lives on a farm. She always enjoyed being around animals, whether it was baby chicks or newborn calves she always had to go see them.
She is now 18 and enjoys cross stitching, quading with her family, fishing, swimming, and spending time with family. She lives in Goodsoil, Saskatchewan, Canada and will graduate this year.
FOP has affected her life because she can’t walk like normal people can. Her legs do not bend at the knees. She can’t reach above her lips. She can’t turn her neck around as it is fixed in one position. Something as simple as putting on shoes is beyond her reach. Family plays an important part of her life.
She was glad to be able to drive a vehicle with the use of camera’s to act as her mirrors and the use of her Segway to get around school and to go longer distances as she gets tired from walking too far.
She got her first job this year and would like to take a medical transcriptionist course so that she could work from home.
At age eleven, she went to visit Dr. Fred Kaplan in Philadelphia, who is one of the best FOP doctors around. As there is no cure at this time for FOP, we can only hope that research will find a solution in time for individuals affected by this rare disease.
Kathleen lives on a farm. She always enjoyed being around animals, whether it was baby chicks or newborn calves she always had to go see them.
She is now 18 and enjoys cross stitching, quading with her family, fishing, swimming, and spending time with family. She lives in Goodsoil, Saskatchewan, Canada and will graduate this year.
FOP has affected her life because she can’t walk like normal people can. Her legs do not bend at the knees. She can’t reach above her lips. She can’t turn her neck around as it is fixed in one position. Something as simple as putting on shoes is beyond her reach. Family plays an important part of her life.
She was glad to be able to drive a vehicle with the use of camera’s to act as her mirrors and the use of her Segway to get around school and to go longer distances as she gets tired from walking too far.
She got her first job this year and would like to take a medical transcriptionist course so that she could work from home.
