- Causes and symptoms
- First reactions to the Juliana Wetmore case
- Recovery process
- New ally in the recovery process
- References
The Treacher Collins syndrome Juliana Wetmore refers to the condition with the American girl born: has an absence of 40% of the bones of the face.
Treacher-Collins syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by the deformation and lack of tissues in the chin, eyes, ears and cheekbones, and which results in difficulties in the respiratory, auditory and digestive systems.
One of the best known cases of patients with Treacher-Collins syndrome, and the most severe on record, is that of Juliana Wetmore.
Juliana was born in 2003 in Jacksonville, United States. So far, she has had more than forty-five operations, both to improve her hearing and for facial reconstruction.
Causes and symptoms
The cause of Treacher-Collins syndrome is a mutation of the gene on chromosome 5, and it can be generated by hereditary transmission or spontaneously. Statistics show that this disease affects one in every 50,000 births.
In the case of Juliana Wetmore, the first months of pregnancy were normal, until the first ultrasounds showed some abnormalities.
Doctors monitoring Tami Wetmore's pregnancy ordered an amniocentesis; that is, a prenatal study.
The results showed that the fetus suffered from a cleft palate, but only at the time of birth did parents and doctors realize the gravity of the baby's situation.
First reactions to the Juliana Wetmore case
From the moment the doctors first warned Juliana Wetmore's parents about the baby's abnormalities, they decided to continue the pregnancy.
Although the parents were initially shocked upon meeting their baby, they overcame them and began a long recovery process, which has so far included forty-five interventions.
Recovery process
At the time of birth Juliana Wetmore did not have the orbital cavities, the bones of her cheeks were missing, she suffered from malformations in the nostrils and she also lacked the external auditory canal and the ears.
Immediately the medical team at Miami Children's Hospital began operations, by means of which they discovered his left eye and inserted a tube into his windpipe and stomach, to facilitate breathing and feeding.
It is hoped that in the near future the tube inserted into your stomach may be removed so that you can feed yourself.
She currently attends the Clay County school for deaf children, as she communicates through sign language.
His development on an intellectual level is completely normal, and he even attends classical and tap dance lessons.
New ally in the recovery process
In 2015 Thom and Tami Wetmore, Julianne's parents, decided to adopt a Ukrainian girl named Danica, who also suffered from Treacher-Collins syndrome, albeit with milder symptoms than Julianne's.
Currently, both sisters are a case of solidarity and cooperation in the face of difficulties.
References
- Meredith Engel, New York Daily New, ”Juliana Wetmore triumphs after being born with no face”, 2014. Retrieved on December 11, 2017 from nydailynews.com
- Lizzetti Borrelli, "Girl Born witout a face redefines beauty: Juliana Wetmore, Treacher Collins sufferer, can finally talk after 45 surgeries", 2014. Retrieved on December 11, 2017 from medicaldaily.com
- Henderson Cooper, »The baby girl was born witout a face, 11 years later everything has changed», 2016. Retrieved on December 11, 2017 from i-lh.com