Clinic for Special Children Fighting Genetic Illnesses with Cutting-Edge Research and Compassion

Time 2020-11-06 15:05:14

Web Name: Clinic for Special Children Fighting Genetic Illnesses with Cutting-Edge Research and Compassion

WebSite: http://clinicforspecialchildren.org

ID:106933

Keywords:

Children,Fighting,Genetic,

Description:

Fighting Genetic Illnesses with Cutting-Edge Research and Compassion Learn more about the Clinic & what we do You can help make an EXTRAORDINARY difference! We’re counting down the days until the Extraordinary Give on... Read more The 2020 Fall edition of our newsletter details how we quickly diagnosed TJP2 in a young patient,... Read more There is a way to use the power of genetic knowledge and biochemical knowledge to predict and prevent disabilities in children. And I've devoted my life to that idea. Dr. Kevin A. Strauss, Medical Director Our clinic serves as a trusted medical home for Amish and Mennonite families working to prevent and treat genetic illness in their young children. The sturdy, timber-framed building was “raised” by the hands of those in the Anabaptist community it serves just outside of Strasburg, PA. Inside, it is filled with an array of high-tech gene sequencing tools that allow us to deliver highly personalized care—a precise treatment option for the right patient at the right time. Learn More about the Clinic’s Mission “When Amanda was born we had no idea that she would be special or different,” Ada Ruth Stoltzfus explains of her daughter, Amanda. At around four months of age, Ada Ruth noticed that Amanda began to wake up frequently during the night and her quality of sleep declined drastically.In addition to sleep issues, Amanda started to itch and scratch herself constantly. Ada Ruth tried cutting her nails, changing laundry and bath soaps, and anything else she could think of to alleviate Amanda’s itching. “As soon as we would try to bathe her, she would start itching and wouldn’t be interested in anything other than scratching her belly,” Ada Ruth explains.When Amanda was six months of age, Ada Ruth heard of another family’s baby that had similar symptoms to Amanda. This family mentioned the possibility of vitamin K deficiency and recommended the Clinic for Special Children (CSC) to Ada Ruth, who then scheduled Amanda for her first visit shortly thereafter.During Amanda’s first visit, Dr. Vincent Carson gave Amanda a vitamin K shot and ordered a targeted genetic test from CSC’s in-house laboratory to check for a condition called familial hypercholanemia (also sometimes called vitamin K deficiency) which can be caused by a variant in the TJP2 gene. The condition can cause symptoms like itching, jaundice, poor weight gain, and bruising. This condition is known to affect the Amish community so the CSC team knew the right test to order. Within hours, Amanda’s genetic test came back positive for TJP2.TJP2 is a disorder of the liver in which bile ducts are leaky and bile salts enter the bloodstream. When bile salts get into the bloodstream, it can cause extreme itchiness. In addition, fats from a person’s diet don’t absorb properly in the gut and can cause low levels of vitamins A, D, E, and K. When vitamin K is low, dangerous bleeding can occur.Amanda was immediately placed on ursodiol to help her liver congestion and a vitamin called AquADEKs® to replace the vitamins her body could not absorb. This medication resulted in slight improvements to her liver inflammation and itchiness. At Amanda’s next visit with Dr. Laura Poskitt, she was also placed on a medication called rifampin.Within a week after adding rifampin, Ada Ruth noticed a big difference in her daughter. “She was a lot happier, slept a lot better, and her scratching completely stopped,” Ada Ruth exclaimed. Today, Amanda is a happy baby who’s now teething, crawling, and pulling herself up. “We’re thankful that we were able to get an answer quickly with the Clinic,” says Ada Ruth.Thank you to the Stoltzfus family for sharing their story! Our clinic serves as a trusted medical home for families working to prevent and treat genetic illness in their children. Serving predominantly Amish and Mennonite families, the sturdy, timber-framed building was "raised" by the hands of those in the Anabaptist community outside of Strasburg, PA. Inside the clinic is filled with an array of high-tech gene sequencing that allows us to deliver state of the art care in a nurturing environment. Support the Clinic The Clinic for Special Children is a Section 501(c)(3) Public Charity for US Federal and State Tax purposes (Tax ID #23-2555373). Donations to the Clinic are tax deductible. Donors should consult their tax advisor for questions regarding deductibility. A copy of the Clinic’s registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll free, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

TAGS:Children Fighting Genetic 

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