Stories

Family Hopes Pacemaker Will Help Girl With Genetic Mutation (ACDY5)

May 29, 2015

A young girl from Apollo Beach with an extremely rare movement disorder is receiving a treatment no other person with her disease has ever had – having a pacemaker placed in her brain.
Doctors and scientists from across the world are hoping Laura Tobia’s life can help unlock secrets to a host of diseases, including Parkinson’s.
Laura is like any other 9-year-old girl. She loves to run and play. Her favorite sport is baseball, but she needs some assistance.
“She’s very determined,” said Marla Tobia, her mother. “She’s always been determined.”
Laura has a rare genetic mutation called ADCY5. Less than a dozen people have been diagnosed with it. Her mother says the symptoms are much like that of an adult with Parkinson’s Disease.

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