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Jessica Long is one of the most successful Paralympics in history. In Tokyo, he will surely win more medals in swimming. Jessica gave birth in 1992 with fibular hemimelia. There were so few bones in her lower legs that they had to be amputated.
- Sagittal hemimelia is a rare congenital defect of bone underdevelopment
- It is estimated that once in 50-140 thousand. births
- One of the babies born with this condition was Jessica Long, who later became a multiple Olympic and swimming world champion
- Long starts can be watched at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Tokyo
- More interesting information can be found on the Onet homepage
Jessica Long – one of the best olympics ever
Jessica Long is one of the stars of the Tokyo Paralympic Games that has just started. He has 23 Olympic medals, including 13 zlotys, and he will certainly improve his achievements.
She made her debut at the Olympics in 2004. She was 12 at the time, and her young age did not prevent her from winning three gold medals at an event in Athens.
Her achievements from the World Cup are even more impressive. So far, she has collected over 50 medals, of course mostly gold.
Long takes part in the S8, SB7 and SM8 classifications for athletes with physical disabilities. The letters represent the swimming styles, «S» is the butterfly and backstroke, «SB» the classic and «SM» is the medley. The number indicates a physical disability on a scale of 1 to 10. The lower the number, the more severe the impairment.
Jessica was born with fibula hemimelia
Jessica was born 29 years ago (February 29!) In Siberia as Tatiana Olegovna Kirillova with a congenital defect – sagittal hemimelia. Most of the bones in her lower legs (fibula) and feet were missing, and she had only three fingers. She was born by a 16-year-old woman. She was unable to cope with the disabled child, so she gave her daughter up for adoption.
- This defect happens once in 50 thousand. births. A few years ago, it meant the amputation of a leg
When Jessica was thirteen months old, she was taken in by an American couple from Baltimore. Half a year later, the family and doctors decided that her legs had to be amputated so that the dentures could be fitted.
Prostheses did not prevent her from physical activity. She trained gymnastics, basketball, ice skating, running and rock climbing. Ultimately, she opted for swimming as it was best for her legs.
Jessica Long – Super Bowl star
The Super Bowl, i.e. the final match for the National Football League, the American league of American football, is one of the most important sports, cultural and commercial events in the USA. During the match, which is watched by over 100 million Americans in front of televisions, advertisements are broadcast, for which well-known companies pay a fortune of the station that shows the event.
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This year, the Super Bowl was featured on CBS, and one of the companies that siphoned off at least $ 5 million for an appearance was Toyota. However, the heroine of the spot was not the latest car model, but Jessica Long.
The history of her adoption is presented in a minute-long video.
“We believe that there is hope and strength in each of us” – is the slogan of the spot.
Sagittal hemimelia – what is this disease?
Sagittal hemimelia is a rare congenital defect in which the longitudinal axis of the fibula is underdeveloped. The defect may lie in the partial or complete lack of bone (then we are talking about aplasia). This is often accompanied by deformation of the knee, back of the foot, or missing toes. There may also be a lack of the thigh bone and deformity of the tibia.
Sagittal hemimelia occurs once in 50-140 thousand. births.
Hemimelia, called congenital limb amputation, can also affect the tibia, radius, or ulna.
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When the deformity is not significant, sagittal hemimelia is treated by bone lengthening, joint and muscle reconstruction. It is a complicated and expensive operation, most often performed when a child is no more than three years old.
In other cases, it is treated with amputation and the fit of a suitable prosthesis.
The causes of this disease are not known, it may be caused by a gene mutation or a disorder of embryogenesis. Risk factors also include viral infections during pregnancy, taking certain medications, or exposure of a pregnant woman to X-rays. The disease is unlikely to be hereditary.
Also read:
- «They wrote my son off. I do not give up”
- In Poznań, support for women with a detected fetal defect
- Are you planning a pregnancy? Start with research – take care of your and your baby’s health
- “If I had known how seriously ill my child would be, I would not have made up my mind to give birth to him”. Hospice doctor: yes, I sometimes hear these words
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