Claire Odong
Isabellas 10 Mile Bike Ride for Marfans
Fundraising for Marfan Trust
Story
Firstly, a little bit about me….
Hello, my name is Isabella, I am 8 and I have Marfan Syndrome, which is why I am really tall. Marfans is where you have long legs, arms, and finger’s. I think every person that has it are doing very well, keep it up!👍🏿👍🏿🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾
I found out I had marfans at 2 years old when my parents reported my eyes to be tested as I couldn’t see my books or read they properly. They soon found out my lens was dislocated. After this the doctors then tested my family for the faulty gene and I was diagnosed with Marfans. Unfortunately my heart and spine are affected but I have a great team of doctors looking after me.
What I am going to do to raise awareness and funds for Marfan research….
Did you know, £10 will provide the laboratory with chemicals to screen an entire family for Marfan syndrome?
What I am going to do…
I am going to ride 10 miles once I have my plaster cast removed at Christmas. I am going to ride with my brother Henry around the cycle paths in Stevenage. I am hoping to raise money for the Marfan charity and I hope to make a difference to lives affected my Marfans.
More about Marfans…
Marfan syndrome is a disorder of the body's connective tissues, a group of tissues that maintain the structure of the body and support internal organs and other tissues.
Some people are only mildly affected by Marfan syndrome, while others develop more serious symptoms.
Typical characteristics of Marfan syndrome include:
- being tall
- abnormally long and slender limbs, fingers and toes (arachnodactyly)
- heart defects
- lens dislocation – where the lens of the eye falls into an abnormal position
The gene defect leads to abnormal production of a protein called fibrillin, resulting in parts of the body being able to stretch abnormally when placed under any kind of stress.
The defective fibrillin gene also causes some bones to grow longer than they should.
This means a person with Marfan syndrome may be tall because their arms and legs grow longer than normal.
There's no cure for Marfan syndrome, so treatment focuses on managing the symptoms and reducing the risk of complications.
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