A normal person inherits two sex chromosomes, but people with Turner syndrome have only one sex chromosome. People suffering from this condition are of a short stature, but these people can still live and do great things in life. Keep reading to find out more about Turner syndrome and celebrities with Turner syndrome who didn't let this condition stand in their way to greatness.
What Is Turner Syndrome?
The condition only affects women and manifests itself when the X chromosome is missing completely or partially. The syndrome can cause a number of developmental problems and medical issues, including short height, heart defects, infertility, social adjustment problems, and certain learning disabilities. Failure to start puberty is yet another common symptom. Puberty may not start because the ovaries don't develop properly due to Turner syndrome. The condition doesn't affect intelligence, but women with Turner syndrome usually have arms that turn out slightly, a short webbed neck, a receding lower jaw, and a low hairline at the back of the neck.
Turnery syndrome can be diagnosed before birth, at the time of birth, or during infancy. Some young girls don't experience serious symptoms until their young adult years, and this causes the diagnosis to be delayed. It is important for girls with Turner syndrome to receive ongoing medical care. Appropriate care and regular checkups can help most women live relatively independent and healthy lives.
Celebrities with Turner Syndrome
As mentioned, the condition doesn't affect how a person thinks, so it is possible to see so many celebrities with Turner syndrome who really influenced the lives of other people in so many ways.
1. Hollywood Actress Linda Hunt
If you've watched 'NCIS: Los Angeles', a famous CSB series, the chances are you already know Lydia Susanna Hunter. However, you may not know already that this American TV, film, and stage actress is among the list of celebrities with Turner syndrome. She started her career as a singer, but made her Hollywood debut with an appearance in the Popeye film version. She has won 13 awards, including the 2012 Teen Choice Award and the 1984 Oscar Award for the Best Supporting Actress.
2. American Gymnast Missy Marlowe
Missy Marlowe is also one of those celebrities with Turner syndrome that achieved great things in lives. She competed under the artistic gymnastics and became part of the US team that competed in the Pan American Games in Indianapolis. Selected for the bichampion team, she won a number of awards and even defeated Sabrina Mar. Getting the World Champion Gymnast title was one of her most notable achievements. She has now retired and is serving as a spokesperson in the Turner Syndrome Society.
3. Dr. Catherine Ward Melver
Dr. Catherine Ward Melver is a medical genetics doctor and one of many celebrities with Turner syndrome. It's been more than 16 years since she started practicing in the field of genetics. She was diagnosed with this disorder when she was seven – she's only 4 feet and 8 inches tall. She received her licenses from OH State Medical License, American Board of Pediatrics, and American Board of Medical Genetics.
She couldn't become pregnant due to her condition, but she embraced motherhood by adopting a 4-year-old girl, Zoe, from china who also has the same disorder. However, the future is definitely brighter for Zoe with growth hormone therapy and other treatment options more easily available.
4. Scottish Actress Janette Cranky
Turner syndrome didn't allow Janette Krankie to grow taller than 4 feet and 5.5 inches, but the disorder couldn't keep her from becoming one of the most popular celebrities with Turner syndrome. Born in 1947 in Scotland, she's a popular actress known mainly for her performance in The Krankies Klub (1982), The Krankies Elektronik Komik (1985), and TV's Funniest Music Moments (2008). She got married in 1969. She's semi-retired now and was hospitalized after she met an on-stage accident in 2004. She still managed to appear in the video for the Comic Relief charity with her husband Ian Tough in 2007.
How Does Turner Syndrome Happen?
A girl receives one X chromosome from her father and one X chromosome from her mother, but sometimes, one X chromosome is missing, and that leads to a condition called Turner syndrome. The condition is basically caused by nondisjunction, which happens when a pair of x chromosomes doesn't separate during the formation of a sperm. This sperm with no X chromosome can still unite with an egg to form an embryo that will have only X chromosome. The X chromosome will be missing even when the embryo grows and its cells divide.
This chromosomal abnormality doesn't pass down from parent to child because it is very difficult for women with Turner syndrome to have children. In about 20% of the cases, two X chromosomes are present in patients of Turner syndrome but one of these chromosomes is defected and is often in a ring shape. However, about 30% of women with this disorder have one X chromosome missing completely in some of their cells only. These girls will notice fewer symptoms because some of their cells have both chromosomes.
How Is Turner Syndrome Treated?
The best way to treat this disorder is to use hormone replacement therapy. Teen girls usually receive growth hormone to improve their height – they may also receive androgen in small doses to encourage muscle and hair growth. Some patients also choose to take estrogen, which is female hormone essential for sexual development.
Very few women with this disorder can become pregnant without the use of any fertility treatment, but so many of them often experience subsequent infertility and failure of the ovaries early in adulthood. Women with this disorder have high-risk pregnancies, so it is important for them to work with their doctor when they are trying to conceive.