Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Young Kiwi teen's fight to be believed | RNZ

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Young Kiwi teen's fight to be believed | RNZ <!--mynz:youtube-chapters--> {"v":1,"chapters":[{"timeSeconds":1,"label":"Teen's struggle with illness","summary":"A young teen describes the difficulty of fighting her own body while also having to fight doctors. She shows a picture of herself with a feeding tube."},{"timeSeconds":7,"label":"Parents' perspective on daughter's fight","summary":"The teen's parents express pride in her resilience, stating that nothing will stop her. They believe she is a strong and determined individual."},{"timeSeconds":30,"label":"Talented athlete's past success","summary":"The video shows footage of the teen playing soccer, highlighting her past achievements as a talented athlete. She received a scholarship to study and play in the United States."},{"timeSeconds":45,"label":"From athlete to patient","summary":"The teen, Rachel Weatherley, recounts her transition from a healthy athlete to a patient. She describes how her life changed dramatically."},{"timeSeconds":58,"label":"Hospitalization and misdiagnosis","summary":"Rachel was hospitalized and initially misdiagnosed with anorexia and gastritis. Doctors struggled to identify the cause of her severe symptoms."},{"timeSeconds":103,"label":"Parents' helplessness during crisis","summary":"Rachel's father, Pete, describes the difficult time when Rachel was very ill and they couldn't fly her home from the US due to COVID-19 restrictions."},{"timeSeconds":150,"label":"Diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome","summary":"After extensive testing, Rachel was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. This diagnosis explained her symptoms."},{"timeSeconds":206,"label":"Seeking treatment abroad","summary":"Due to the lack of specialized treatment in New Zealand, Rachel had to seek surgery in Australia, which was costly and complex."}]} <!--/mynz:youtube-chapters-->