My freshman year of high school, I traveled to Tijuana, Mexico with a group of volunteers to build a house for a family that had no permanent house and walked long distances for water and bathroom facilities. They also had a child with extenuating medical circumstances.
Twelve-year-old Mariana had XP (or Xeroderma Pigmentosum), an inherited disease that caused extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light. In people with XP, UV light damages the genetic material (DNA) in cells; the damaged DNA builds up and becomes particularly harmful to the skin and eyes. People younger than 20 years old with XP have more than 1,000 times the risk of developing skin cancer, which develops most often on the face, lips, and eyes. So, Mariana was severely allergic to the sun and predisposed to cancer. The day I met her, she had crusted and open sores on her face that sometimes dripped blood.
I spent two days painting boards, lifting walls for the rooms, and hammering nails into asphalt tiles for the roof.
Since there is no cure for xeroderma pigmentosum, treatment focuses on any problems that are present and on preventing future problems from developing. The shelter and sanitary facilities that I helped build for her that weekend will enhance Mariana's quality of life -- and may even help extend it.
Twelve-year-old Mariana had XP (or Xeroderma Pigmentosum), an inherited disease that caused extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light. In people with XP, UV light damages the genetic material (DNA) in cells; the damaged DNA builds up and becomes particularly harmful to the skin and eyes. People younger than 20 years old with XP have more than 1,000 times the risk of developing skin cancer, which develops most often on the face, lips, and eyes. So, Mariana was severely allergic to the sun and predisposed to cancer. The day I met her, she had crusted and open sores on her face that sometimes dripped blood.
I spent two days painting boards, lifting walls for the rooms, and hammering nails into asphalt tiles for the roof.
Since there is no cure for xeroderma pigmentosum, treatment focuses on any problems that are present and on preventing future problems from developing. The shelter and sanitary facilities that I helped build for her that weekend will enhance Mariana's quality of life -- and may even help extend it.
