In the quaint town of Hartford, Wisconsin, a young girl named Adeline Tonhaeuser faces an extraordinary challenge. At just seven years old, she lives a life largely hidden from the sun due to a rare condition, forcing her family to adapt to a unique lifestyle.
Adeline suffers from a severe form of porphyria, a rare blood disorder affecting approximately 200,000 Americans. Her condition makes her skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light, leading to painful blisters, infections, and scarring. “It was a complete gut punch,” shares her father, Kurt Tonhaeuser, reflecting on the family’s emotional turmoil following her diagnosis at 18 months.
Daily challenges
To protect Adeline, her home and family car are fortified against UV light with tinted windows. At school, she wears a hat, gloves, long sleeves, and pants, spending her recess indoors. Playing outside like other children is a risk she’s unable to take. “The isolation… I worry about that,” Kurt laments.
A brief respite: Sun Escape Camp
Recently, Adeline experienced a rare sense of normalcy at Sun Escape, a camp for children with photosensitivity. Activities like nighttime zip-lining and indoor horseback riding allowed her to engage freely. “She had such a blast,” recalls her mother, Megan Dunn.
What are the symptoms of Porphyria?
The symptoms of porphyria can vary significantly depending on the specific type, ranging from mild to severe. Some individuals with porphyria may have no noticeable symptoms, while in more serious cases, the condition can become life-threatening without proper treatment.
For those with cutaneous porphyria, which primarily affects the skin, common symptoms include:
- Extreme sensitivity to sunlight
- Itching
- Swelling of sun-exposed skin
- Blisters, abrasions, or skin erosions
- Scarring and fragility in areas exposed to the sun
In contrast, acute porphyrias primarily affect the nervous system. These symptoms tend to appear suddenly and may last for a short period. Signs of acute porphyrias include:
- Abdominal, chest, arm, leg, or back pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Constipation
- Difficulty emptying the bladder (urinary retention)
- Changes in mental status, such as confusion or hallucinations
- Seizures
- Muscle weakness
Managing the condition
Adeline’s condition is managed through strict sun avoidance, vitamin D supplements, and regular health monitoring. A bone marrow transplant might be considered in the future, offering a potential solution to her condition.
Adeline’s doctors have reassured her parents that, as long as she remains fully protected from the sun, she should be able to manage her condition as she grows older. To compensate for the lack of sunlight, she takes vitamin D supplements. Every six months, Adeline undergoes blood tests to monitor her health, particularly her liver and iron levels, which are susceptible to complications from the disease.
Although a bone marrow transplant may be a future option, it is not currently recommended. Since her bone marrow produces the excess porphyrins causing her symptoms, a transplant from a healthy donor could potentially resolve the issue.
“We just keep going forward. You can’t look back,” her mom says. “I think she’s doing great. We just have to keep encouraging her. She’s very confident, and I want to make sure she stays that way.”
Despite the challenges, Adeline’s family remains resilient. “We just keep moving forward,” says her mother. With strong family support, Adeline is thriving, living her life with confidence and courage.