St. Cloud 3-year-old defies long odds of rare disease

ST. CLOUD — An internet search for “thanatophoric dysplasia” can produce some bleak results. Thanatophoric dysplasia, or TD, is a rare, severe skeletal disorder characterized by extremely short limbs and folds of extra skin on the arms and legs. Approximately one in 20,000 children are born with it. Thanatophoric is Greek for “death bearing,” and doctors commonly advise parents that a TD pregnancy has a high likelihood of stillbirth or death shortly after birth due to respiratory failure. St. Cloud 3-year-old Sarah McNamara and her mother, Amber Traxler, are proving that a TD diagnosis isn’t hopeless. Their “Sarah’s Strength” Facebook page has inspired TD and non-TD families alike. The page, managed by Traxler, shows a child not just surviving, but thriving. Sarah can be seen on trips to the zoo or the aquarium. The joyful tot loves to stick her tongue out for the camera or enjoy a sweet treat.

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