United Kingdom: 5-month-old baby girl diagnosed with rare disease, 'turning to stone' due to extremely rare genetic condition

United Kingdom: 5-month-old baby girl diagnosed with rare disease, 'turning to stone' due to extremely rare genetic condition

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Sunday, July 04, 2021, 05:44 PM IST
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In a rare case, a five-month-old baby girl from the United Kingdom is "turning to a stone" due to an extremely rare genetic condition that turns muscles into bones. Born on January 31, Lexi Robins seemed like any other normal baby but she wasn't able to move her thumb and had bigger toes than ususal.

Concerned over the issue, her parents took her to doctors. It was then found that their daughter is diagnosed with a life-limiting disease called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), which affects just one in two million.

Her X-rays, done in April, revealed that she had bunions on her feet and double-jointed thumbs.

What is Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP)?

The FOP can lead to bone formation outside skeleton and restrict movement. It is believed to replace muscles and connective tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, with bone. Thus, it is generally perceived that the condition turns a body into stone.

Notably this disease has no proven treatment, and those who get diagnosed with it can be bedridden by the age of 20 and their life expectancy is around 40 years.

Due to FOP, doctors say that Lexi's condition may worsen rapidly if she suffers any minor trauma, as simple as falling over. She cannot receive injections, vaccinations and dental care and cannot give birth.

Lexi's mother Alex told HertsLive, "We were initially told, after the x-rays, she probably had a syndrome and wouldn't walk. We just didn't believe that because she's so strong physically at the moment and she's just kicking her legs."

"She's absolutely brilliant. She sleeps through the night, she smiles and laughs constantly, hardly ever cries. That's the way we want to keep her," she added.

Reportedly, scientists are working, on the funds of a charity, to find a cure for the disorder. Also, Alex and Lexi's father Dave have spoken to some experts, who said that there are active clinical trials that have proven somewhat successful.

To find a cure for Lexi, her parents have started a fundraiser for research. They are also running an awareness campaign to alert other parents whose children might have similar conditions.

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