Singer-actor Nick Jonas is mourning the loss of his close childhood friend & 'sister' Maya Kibbel, who passed away at the age of 30 after battling the rare genetic condition known as Wilson's Disease. The heartbreaking news was shared by Maya’s mother through an emotional post on social media, revealing that she had been living with the illness for a long time before her sudden death.
Maya was widely known among fans of the Jonas family and was often referred to as Nick Jonas’ “sister-like friend.” Her passing has sparked conversations online about Wilson’s disease, a rare but serious medical condition that often goes undiagnosed in its early stages.
What Is Wilson’s Disease?
According to Dr. Rakesh Pandit, Senior Consultant and Head of Internal Medicine at Aakash Healthcare, Wilson’s disease is an inherited condition that is highly treatable but requires lifelong management.
The disorder affects the body’s ability to process and remove excess copper. Normally, the liver metabolises copper from the food we eat and eliminates the excess through bile. However, in people with Wilson’s disease, copper is not properly expelled and instead builds up in vital organs such as the liver, brain and eyes.
Early Symptoms and Warning Signs
The patients can have fatigue, weakness, belly pains, nausea, loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss. Other people experience jaundice, which is a yellowish skin and yellowish eyes, a symptom that means that the liver is not functioning properly.
When the disease advances, copper may accumulate within the brain and the nervous system, resulting in neurological and psychiatric symptoms. They might be tremors, loss of coordination, speech sounds, muscle rigidity, and balance issues. Behavioral alterations, including irritability, mood swings, depression or personality alterations, might also be experienced.
The other characteristic of Wilson's disease is Kayser-Fleischer rings, brownish or greenish rings around the eyes as a result of deposits of copper in the eyes. The rings are visible during the testing of eyes and have been referred to as an important diagnostic.
How Serious or Deadly Is Wilson’s Disease?
Wilson's disease may be fatal if it is not treated. Gradual copper build-up may result in serious liver damage, resulting in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis or acute liver failure. The neurological complications can be aggravated by time, and speech, movement and cognitive ability can be impaired. In severe forms, liver failure or severe neurological impairment complications may turn out to be life-threatening.
Is Wilson’s Disease Curable?
Even though Wilson has a disease that cannot be fully cured in the genetic context, it is a very treatable disease. Therapy is mainly aimed at lowering the body levels of excess copper and avoiding its further buildup. This is normally done by use of medications called copper chelating agents that bind to copper and assist in eliminating it in the body via urine.
Food changes may also be helpful. Especially shellfish, liver, chocolate, nuts and mushrooms are so rich in copper that it may be necessary to reduce their intake, at least at the beginning of treatment.
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