Carly Hinrothey, 23, from St. Louis, Missouri, is one of about 800 people in the world who suffer from the so-called "petrification syndrome" or fibrodysplasia.
Fibrodysplasia (Fibrodysplasia ossifying progressive) is a very rare and terrible congenital anomaly for which there is no cure. In this genetic disorder, the connective tissues of the human body, including muscles, tendons and ligaments, are replaced by bone tissue.
Because of this, a person slowly but inexorably loses mobility, starting from childhood. The internal organs are not damaged in this case, and therefore a patient with fibrodysplasia can live long enough if he is provided with good care.
In past centuries, fossilized patients often died of banal exhaustion, since they could not eat after damage to the muscles of the jaws. But now they are being fed through a tube.
Carly Hinrothey.
Carly had the first signs of the syndrome when she was 5 years old, her big toes were shorter than her other toes. This sign is one of the most reliable in diagnosing fibrodysplasia.
Now, when the girl is 23 years old, she can no longer raise her arms above her head, bend her waist, and also stand on her feet for a long time.
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Carly's shoulders and neck were also badly damaged, and because of problems with one hip, Carly already finds it difficult to walk, so she now often travels in a wheelchair.
With fibrodysplasia, the connective tissues ossify in such a way that they seem to form a second skeleton.
The body and skeleton of another patient with advanced fibrodysplasia.
Most patients with fibrodysplasia are bedridden from the age of 20, so Carly is still lucky that she can still move independently. The girl's parents support her and do their best to help her lead an active lifestyle, and not stay at home.
Moreover, Carly even has a boyfriend with whom she has been dating for 6 years, and recently she moved with him to a separate house. In general, she can now self-serve herself, she only has problems with washing her hair and changing shoes.
