Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondrial disease is a rare and progressive condition that currently does not have a cure. The mitochondria is responsible for providing energy to the body. This energy is used for all of the metabolic processes within the body. When the mitochondria is impaired, so are these processes.
Symptoms include seizures, deterioration of muscle coordination, hearing loss, vision loss, and even organ failure. It impacts the physical and cognitive aspects of the body. It also can have developmental effects when it occurs in children.
Many patients are diagnosed as children or even at birth. However, some patients do not develop the disease until they are young adults.
Tegan Harvey
Tegan is an 18 year old living with mitochondrial disease. She was told that she wouldn’t live past age seven. Considering that she wasn’t diagnosed until she was 6, this was devastating news for her and her family. But, surpassing the odds, she’s now an adult.
Tegan faces seizures which can cause her to become unresponsive. The condition also impacts her muscle coordination and her brain.
But her family describes her as a fighter. She was determined to live. She is a happy girl full of love and laughter. Of course, she also had an amazing team of doctors.
Although mitochondrial disease has no cure, there are some therapies that can help patients. Tegan was blessed to have been prescribed what her parents called a miracle drug this summer.
You can read more about Tegan’s story and this rare disease here.
