Sunday, November 15, 2009

Teen Dies From Ehlers-Danlos: Classmates Plant Tree

We are saddened by the death of Forrest Goetsch, a fourteen-year-old athlete, whose courage in the face of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome inspired his classmates to plant a tree in his honor.
It was just an honor to be able to call him one of your friends," Nick said of Forrest.Beyond physically grueling sports, Forrest endured multiple surgeries for a bilateral facial cleft that affected his appearance, Steve Goetsch said.
We are a bit puzzled by broader story, however. It appears that Ehlers-Danlos was not originally listed as his cause of death.
An autopsy showed that a D.C. Everest Junior High student who died Sept. 21 during cross country practice suffered from a genetic connective tissue disorder, according to the Marathon County Medical Examiner’s office.

Fourteen-year-old Forrest Goetsch died from complications of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Marathon County Deputy Medical Examiner Jean Finley said today. A preliminary autopsy done shortly after his death indicated Goetsch’s death was from cardiac-related natural causes.
We can't help but wonder how many similar instances might be the result of underdiagnosis, due to a lack of general awareness of this disease.

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