Cadence's Story

Cadence
Age 16
West Virginia University Children's Hospital
Propionic Acidemia

When Cadence was born, her parents had no idea their healthy little girl would be in a coma two weeks later. At just 14 days old, Cadence wouldn't wake up and was rushed to the hospital.
The attending doctors and specialists had never seen anything like it. Eventually she was diagnosed with the condition propionic acidemia, a rare disorder where individuals cannot break down parts of protein and some types of fat.

Being the first child diagnosed with this disease in West Virginia, Cadence’s parents were told that it was likely that she would never walk, talk, hear or see.

However, Cadence is beating the odds. A teenager now, she sees, hears, laughs and talks. Cadence also plays percussion in her school band and has taken up tap and ballet lessons.

To help make sure other children are able to avoid the same prognosis Cadence received, her family helped pass the Expanded Newborn Screening law in West Virginia—requiring every newborn to receive testing for 29 different diseases, including propionic acidemia.