Anna Hankins, a 15-year-old teen diagnosed during early childhood with Prader-Willi syndrome, has even more reasons to be happy and to enjoy like after she was recently crowned queen of the Miss Amazing beauty pageant. Although the teen is struggling with her weight, she’s a very happy and optimistic person, according to her parents.
Prader-Willi Syndrome is a Rare Genetic Disorder
According to the National Health Institute, only one in 15,000 children are diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic and, unfortunately, incurable genetic condition characterized by abnormal food craving, low muscle tone, and stunted growth.
Anna Hankins is one of the few United States kids who were diagnosed with this condition. According to the teen’s parents, Anna was born prematurely and she had issues taking in any kind of food.
Regrettably, a few years later, Anna started exhibiting strange behavior. In a press interview, the girl’s mother declared that her daughter would eat just about anything she can lay her hands on, and that they even caught her in the kitchen, in the dead of night, preparing a chocolate cake.
For this reason, her parents were forced to put padlocks on the refrigerator and any placed food is stored. However, Anna’s uncontrollable craving for food made her eat discarded morsels from the family’s trashcan.
Now, the teen was put on a 900-calorie diet and she’s not allowed to eat anything fatty or sweet as her body cannot handle food well. Due to her condition, the teen needs help getting dressed and moving around the house.
At times, she needs oxygen as her weight of 380 pounds makes it almost impossible for her to breath properly.
Conclusion
Still, the teen with Prader-Willi syndrome has bright future ahead of her. Only recently, Anna was crowned for the third time queen of the Miss Amazing beauty pageant for persons with disabilities.
