Thursday July 25, 2013
By Michele Jedlicka
July 19, 2013, midnight
RESEARCH: Livia Matby, with her mother Kirsti, battles developmental delay, scoliosis.
When Livia Matby was born, her family welcomed a beautiful full-term baby girl after a normal pregnancy.
Not long after, the heartaches began. Doctors diagnosed developmental delay, scoliosis, that meant she could not walk until her fourth birthday, and autism.
At ten weeks she was blind.
Livi will need a metal rod in her back as she grows and she faces more physio, speech and other therapies at aged six than most adults ever need.
She has a few words now, and has gained sight, but the genetic cause for Livi’ s collection of challenges is still unknown.
It’ s cases like Livi’ s that inspired the Children’ s Medical Research Institute( CMRI) to start the fundraiser called‘ Jeans for Genes’ 20 years ago.