Woman Born With Rare Disorder Is Commonly Mistaken For A Child But Maintains Positive Outlook

Jan 30, 2022 by apost team

A 24-year-old woman is commonly mistaken for a child due to a rare condition that causes her to need around-the-clock care. Michelle Kish was born with Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, which at the time of her birth there were only 250 known cases in the world. 

There are many characteristics of this disorder, which include for Michelle, craniofacial abnormalities, a small, thin nose, recessed chin, bilateral cataracts and alopecia. She was also diagnosed with many of the secondary characteristics, such as dwarfism, cardiomyopathy, chronic pulmonary lung disease and fragile bones. Due to her condition, Michelle has a tracheostomy tube as well, which requires care from a medical professional. 

The young woman faces many challenges but remains a positive and outgoing person. She knows that she is different, as she has high intelligence, but doesn’t let her differences get in the way of her happiness. Michelle loves to play with her dog Piper as well as play games on her iPad. She dreams of becoming a pediatrician and says that she wishes she was taller so she could ride more roller coasters. 

The delightful young lady also said she wishes that she could go underwater, but can’t because of her tracheostomy tube. One other thing Michelle mentioned is that she wishes she could get a boyfriend like her sister. She is hoping for a nice man with long hair that is in touch with his emotions. 

Michelle lives with her mom, Mary, who is her primary caregiver and her dad, Brad, in Illinois. She has a night nursing team and spends a lot of time in hospitals. However, Michelle loves her life and does not complain. In fact, she tries to be supportive of other people instead. Keep reading to learn more about this incredible young woman. 

In an interview, Michelle’s parents shared that they did not know about her condition prior to birth. Her mother said: 

“No one had ever seen it in person at Children's Memorial Hospital, where Michelle was born. When the doctor gave us the diagnosis of Hallermann-Streiff syndrome my heart sank. I was worried how are we going to care for our child who had a rare genetic disorder that was one in five million. It was unknown what her prognosis was going to be. They couldn't tell us because they had never seen it before and it was devastating.”

The family pulled through all the challenges and Michelle has grown into a wonderful person. She added, “I do have to go into the hospital a lot. I can't count how many times but a lot. It's like a second home to me, basically.”

Mary couldn’t be prouder of her daughter and says that Michelle makes her life, and the lives of everyone else she meets, even better. The mom shared:

“Now Michelle is a 20-year-old you lady, she is smart as a whip and happy as ever. She is one of the happiest 20-year-olds I know. My favorite thing about Michelle is that she has high self-esteem, she loves herself and she really has a lot of confidence, she moves on every day with a happy heart and she makes me happy even when I'm down in the dumps. She lights up people's lives with how happy she is. She knows that she is different but it doesn't bring her down.” 

apost.com

Do you find Michelle’s story inspiring? Do you know anyone who shines like Michelle? Let us know and be sure to send this on to your friends and loved ones.