Katie's Heart - Understanding Marfans

In March of 2014, a heavy word was added to our vocabulary -"Marfan's". Recently, my daughter, Katie, received such a diagnosis, probable Marfans. Marfan's is a life-threatening genetic disorder affecting all connective tissue. This means it affects nearly every part of her body, including her heart, joints, lungs, immune system and spinal cord.  Katie is a 14 year old happy go lucky kid, on fire for Christ, with aspirations to be a missionary. In addition, Katie is an active 4-H member and club VP and shows horses. She loves painting, photography, volunteering and cheerleading. Unfortunately, she has had to give up many of the sports and activities she was passionate for since her diagnosis. Currently, we are reaching out to you and seeking donations for our family to go to Baltimore, Maryland, so Katie and our family can attend a conference on Marfan's. At this conference, we would be able to see medical specialists from John Hopkins who work with Marfan patients, learn more about the disorder and get our many questions answered. This is very important to us, as neither in the state of Montana nor any neighboring states are there ANY medical personnel specializing in Marfan's and related disorders! This trip is imperative to our family in order for Katie to see medical professionals who specialize in Marfan's. Knowing the signs of Marfan's syndrome and getting the proper medical treatment can help people with Marfan's live a full life, which would be cut short otherwise.