Written by Jordan Meyer.

Dear students of Metea (and beyond),

You read that right. February is an extremely important month for me, but not for the reasons you might think. No, it’s not because of Valentine’s Day, because let’s be honest, I’m #foreveralone. And it’s not because of Black History Month, although it is important to celebrate the advances that have been made in civil rights. February is important to me because it is Turner Syndrome Awareness Month.

What is Turner Syndrome, you may ask? In short, it is the result of a female’s X chromosome being missing or damaged in one way or another. I was diagnosed when I was 5 years old when I started “dropping off” the growth chart. They sent me to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, IA to do multiple tests, and I was given the official diagnosis of Turner Syndrome. While I was lucky enough to be diagnosed early enough to receive supplemental treatment for my extreme height deficiency (I now am 5 feet tall), many are not as fortunate.

Although it is possible to diagnose within the womb, most women with Turner’s aren’t diagnosed until well into their teen years when they realize they don’t go through puberty like usual. And since Turner Syndrome is such a rare (only 1 in 2,500 females are diagnosed, with only 2 percent surviving birth) and unknown condition, there aren’t many doctors around that have enough knowledge to prescribe the proper treatments for the common issues that come with it. That is why awareness of the symptoms (like short height, frequent ear infections, heart issues, hypothyroid, and ovarian failure) is so important to me.

Even though Turner Syndrome isn’t deadly on its own, the complications that can come with it can be. So spread the word. Wear your purple in the month of February!

Sincerely,
Jordan Meyer