Achondroplasia_Micucci

Grace Micucci_Period 3 Hi, I’m Anna. I have achondroplasia. Achondroplasia is a disorder otherwise known as dwarfism. Dwarfism is when your bones are shorter than they should be so my legs, arms, and even fingers are pretty small. My head is actually normal sized, but I have a large forehead. Don’t get me wrong, even though I have achondroplasia I’m still a normal ten year old girl. I go to school and have the same intelligence and lifespan as any other person in fifth grade. However, achondroplasia does limit what I do. I don’t take Phys Ed at school because my muscles are always sore which is caused by the pressure on my back and head. This also causes me to have breathing problems. Sometimes it just gets hard to breathe, and other times I can’t breathe at all for a small period of time. This pressure can also affect how I walk or run. Achondroplasia unfortunately does not have any specific treatment, but there are options to help with some of the symptoms. I had my tonsils removed when I was five to help me breathe better, and you’d be surprised at how much it helps. I also had surgery done to lessen the pressure on my brain which made my legs less sore. I still don’t completely understand why neither of my parents and my little sister don’t have this disorder and I do. My doctor says it’s because there is a mutation in my genes, and that 80% of people with achondroplasia have parents without the disorder. She also told me that there is a small chance of having another child with that disorder; I guess that’s why my little sister doesn’t have achondroplasia. I also learned that achondroplasia is dominant so if one parent or both has the disorder than my sister and I would have a much higher chance of getting it. Though I have achondroplasia and life can be rough, I’ve learned to work through it and I have my family and lots of great friends to help me along the way.

[] (Mutation in DNA)