- Sara Seeley was on her way to Hawaii for her honeymoon with her husband Mitch when she suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized
- She was found to be suffering from juvenile hemochromatosis, a rare genetic disease
A 28-year-old Portland woman has been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack on the way to her honeymoon due to a rare genetic disease.
Sara Seeley was on her way to Hawaii with her husband Mitch on their honeymoon when she went into cardiac arrest on October 23, the day after their wedding.
Her mother-in-law, who was driving, was forced to stop so Mitch could administer CPR and save his new wife.
After four weeks of testing, doctors determined that Seeley was suffering from juvenile hemochromatosis.
Sara Seeley was on her way to her honeymoon in Hawaii with her husband Mitch, the day after their wedding, when she went into cardiac arrest on October 23.
The disease is a rare genetic disorder characterized by iron accumulation in various body organs.
Juvenile hemochromatosis may become apparent before the age of 30. Common symptoms include absence or reduced function of the testicles in men or the ovaries in women, cardiac (cardiac) disease, liver scarring, joint disease, diabetes and hyperpigmentation.
This was said by her sister Jane Madden, who is pursuing a PhD in biomedical sciences KOIN 6: 'There have ever been fewer than 200 diagnosed cases. It is a recessive condition, which means that both our mother and her father are carriers. It's very rare for this to happen and for her to happen to get both bad alleles.”
Madden also said Seeley suffered a stroke on the right side of her brain, which temporarily paralyzed the left side of her body.
She is currently undergoing physical therapy, heart medications and iron chelation therapy to return to her daily life.
Her sister Jane Madden said Seeley suffered a stroke on the right side of her brain, temporarily paralyzing the left side of her body
She is currently undergoing physical therapy, heart medications and iron chelation therapy to return to her daily life
Madden revealed that Seeley had no insurance and was forced to get one crowdfunding page to support her sister's medical bills.
“The costs associated with Sara's treatment have placed a huge burden on her and her family. The dream of a blissful start to married life has been overshadowed by overwhelming medical bills.
“Sara did not have health insurance to cover significant medical expenses until Mitch was able to secure her benefits under his plan. Unfortunately, this has resulted in astronomical medical bills that continue to pile up and are beyond what our family can handle.
“Before she got married, she didn't have health insurance because she had too much to qualify for OHP (and) not enough to afford private insurance. It is a dire situation that many people find themselves in,” said the concerned sister.
As of now, the fundraiser has reached $15,225 of its $100,000 goal.