Ron Little, a resident of the Greenbrier nursing home in Oklahoma has faced a very rare disease that has only been diagnosed to 500 other patients worldwide.
Ron also suffered from diabetes, so when he fell, he slipped into a diabetic coma and although he could hear everything going on around him, he could not move. His kidneys also shut down while he was in the coma. A friend found him a few days later and rushed him to the hospital where he was told that he would have to have his foot amputated.
The diagnosis was made from muscle and skin biopsies: nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). The probable cause for the disease has been found in an unusual problem related to a combination of renal failure requiring dialysis and a certain radiology technique. No one knows, yet, how to soften all of the muscles so they can start working again. Having a kidney transplant has shown promise and Little is on the list.
This article is a very sad story and it is hard to believe how quickly and unknowingly this disease affected Ron. With advancements in technology, we can hope that Ron will get the help he needs and could possibly obtain a high-tech device, like a reclining electric wheelchair to allow him to interact more in his environment. Hopefully, doctors can learn from Ron’s case and others with the same rare disease and find how to help others facing the same situation in the future.
Source:
http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_324003822.html
