Leanne
Leanne’s daughter, Emily, has a genetic condition that doctors have not been able to identify. Leanne hopes that participating in the 100,000 Genomes Project may provide some answers to Emily’s condition.
Leanne’s daughter, Emily, has been suffering from severe constipation since she was 6-8 weeks old. Laxatives didn’t work so Leanne had to take Emily to the hospital for enemas six times a week. Emily’s bladder retention problems caused her great pain: she couldn’t walk, and she started losing weight. She had several biopsies that didn’t show anything, and many medical interventions, including the coeliac diet and a colostomy surgery, that failed to improve her condition.
Leanne felt that the hospitals never considered her suggestion that Emily’s symptoms might be neurological. So, when an MRI scan confirmed Leanne’s suspicion and revealed that Emily had an enlarged spinal canal, a syrinx, Leanne felt upset. Emily was finally seen by a neurologist, but in Leanne’s view, the hospitals didn’t provide Emily’s full medical record, and Leanne felt the doctors didn’t acknowledge Emily’s symptoms.
When Emily was invited to participate in the pilot of the 100,000 Genomes Project in 2012 it felt to Leanne like she and her family were being believed again. Initially, Leanne was keen to take part because she felt that the blood sample that the project required was relatively non-invasive. However, her partner was more reluctant about participation and both she and her partner were apprehensive about whether genetic research would reveal that they had passed on a genetic condition to their daughter. She also had concerns about the impact of participation in research might have on Emily’s health insurance. But ultimately, Leanne felt Emily’s future health needed to take priority.
Leanne and Emily are still waiting for the results of the research. Since Emily’s blood samples were transferred from the pilot to the main 100,000 Genomes Project, Leanne thinks this will take some time.