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Zoe LushLittle American girl with osteogenesis imperfecta
Country:
 USA |
Content:
American Girl with Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Six-year-old Zoe suffers from a rare medical condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. Almost every bone in her body has been affected, and her condition is so severe that she could literally lose her head. When Zoe's fragile bones in her neck started wearing away, she narrowly escaped being decapitated. A simple sneeze could result in a broken thigh bone, while a fall could have catastrophic consequences. Zoe broke several bones while still in her mother's womb, and her collarbone shattered immediately upon birth. By her first birthday, she had already broken about 100 bones. Zoe's mother, 27-year-old Chelsea, was 20 years old when she became pregnant with Zoe. Doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy, but the young woman refused. Zoe suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic mutation affecting only one in 15,000 people in the UK and one in 50,000 in the US. Chelsea says, "Zoe is incredibly fragile. She literally breaks at the slightest touch. Dangerous situations arose that we barely managed to avoid, but our daughter continues to amaze us every day. Doctors said Zoe wouldn't even make it into this world, yet here she is, approaching her seventh birthday."
A Life of Broken Bones
Treating Zoe's broken bones has become a way of life for Chelsea and Zoe's father, 28-year-old Curtis Lash. The parents have even learned some methods of splinting fractures themselves. Curtis, a surgical technologist, says, "Zoe has broken an uncountable number of bones. We stopped counting after her first birthday, when we reached a hundred fractures. We used to keep a list because we had to visit the clinic every year to update the information on her broken bones. But now we stopped counting because it doesn't make any sense. We understand that Zoe will continue to break bones for the rest of her life."
Hope and Strength
Currently, Zoe is undergoing physical therapy, and her stronger muscles have helped to some extent in protecting her bones, resulting in fewer fractures than before. She has also been fitted with metal rods inserted into her limbs. In July 2016, Zoe had to undergo a neck operation to stabilize her spine. Since then, she has been wearing a special neck brace, which is planned to be removed this month.
Despite all the challenges that she faces, Zoe manages to remain a happy child who enjoys cooking, drawing, and playing with her three-year-old brother Felix. Chelsea says, "Zoe is a social butterfly; she interacts with literally every other child. She doesn't notice the differences that others see. She is ready to be friends with anyone she meets. Zoe can do everything other children can, except running. But she can race other children at high speed in her wheelchair. I wouldn't change anything about Zoe, and I don't want anything to change in her."
Chelsea adds, "I hope that in the future, she will have the same opportunities as everyone else. Most of all, I want my daughter to be happy."
