I am Karina and I have MCADD too!

vincenio2

Hi! I am Karina and I have MCADD too! Having MCADD means that I have a special diet like I can’t eat coconut cause it’s a medium chain and my body can’t break it down. And I eat for energy so I can play or do anything I want.

You know it’s like putting gas in your car so you can go places. I also eat a carb and a protein before I go to sleep so that it gives my body energy while I am sleeping because my body can’t go past so many hours without eating. And when I get sick I have to eat more often around the clock cause my body needs the energy to help me when I am sick. Oh yeah, I also take medicine carnitine that helps takes the toxins out of my body. And when I get really sick I go to the hospital to get D10 and Zofran when I throw up it helps me feel better. It really works!

I know I am always gonna be okay, I make sure I carry snacks and that I have my emergency protocol with me just in case. And I think it’s important that doctors know and listen to us kids when we tell them we need D10 when we don’t feel ourselves. So that we can speak about it so they know how we feel and to help us be better when we are sick. Cause we know when we don’t feel good.

I want to help kids that have MCADD. I want them to know that they can do anything they want just like me! Just believe you can and not to worry because, I have MCADD too! I want to be a MCADD doctor to help kids when they get sick cause I have it too and so they won’t be scared. It’s okay to have MCADD.

Karina is 7 years old. She lives in Marysville, MI with her family. She will be going into 2nd grade this fall. MCADD stands for medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. It affects an individual’s ability to break down fat into energy for the body.