Austin Carlile of Mice & Men is supporting The Marfan Foundation! The musician is fundraising and creating awareness for a disease that he himself suffers from. He has been very open about his personal struggles with the disease and how he has tragically lost his mother to it and is trying to create awareness as much as he can.
Marfan Syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in 5,000 people. It affects the tissues that support internal organs, most importantly the heart. It is not a widely known disease and thats why it is so dangerous. Most times it is a hereditary disease passed from parents to children but other times the gene can just appear.
The Symptoms/Signs
Very tall.
Long and slider limbs, fingers, and toes
Heart defects, mostly issues with the Aorta
Lens dislocation- When the lens of the eyes falls into an abnormal positions
These are just a few of the main signs of Marfan.
How to Diagnose
The only way to truly diagnose Marfan is to get tested. The symptoms show at a very young age and without a diagnose can be very dangerous. People with Marfan can not play contact sports, jog, or over exert physically and if they do it can prove deadly.
Some Famous Names
Besides Austin Carlile there have been a few other famous faces who have suffered from the disease. The writer/composer of the musical Rent, Jonathon Larson is believed to have had Marfan and former president Abraham Lincoln is also believed to have had it.
There is no cure for Marfan but awareness is everything! Carlile is offering fans to join his fundraising efforts with the opportunity for the top five fundraisers to win an autographed Walk for Victory T-Shirt.
To find out more about Marfan and how you can help out, please follow the links.
https://www.firstgiving.com/team/322099
https://www.marfan.org/about/marfan
Tweet us at @CelebMixCares and let us know if you plan on helping Carlile raise awareness for Marfan Syndrome, we know we will!