Genetic Test Results Save Ellicott City Woman's Life

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — When back surgery loomed for Ellicott City resident Danielle DiBartoloemo, she decided to take the 23andMe DNA test to check her medical history first. She had been rear-ended in a drive-thru and wanted to be fully prepared before the procedure.

Thanks to the genetic health risk report generated by the test, DiBartoloemo discovered she was at an increased risk of developing blood clots - knowledge that ended up saving her life.

"The test revealed that I have particular genetic predispositions as well as increased risk factors for developing/exhibiting such disorders based on my DNA analysis and health profile, DiBartoloemo told Patch.

Before surgery, DiBartoloemo informed her medical team about her predisposition to blood clots. But they ignored her. While recovering from her back surgery, she reported leg pain to her doctors. They dismissed the symptom as a muscle cramp. But knowing her medical history, DiBartoloemo persisted and the perceived muscle cramp ended up being exactly what she suspected: risky blood clots.

"It was detrimental that my surgeons disregarded the testing results simply because 23andMe is a private company. The surgeons both expressed that they couldn’t follow the medical recommendations from such a source. This oversight is what I believe led to my development of deadly blood clots post-surgery," DiBartoloemo said.

Her test results and near brush with death also inspired DiBartoloemo to turn her life around and focus on a healthier lifestyle.

"The results did change my perspective; it’s not an easy thing to learn that I was fat by choice and not by nature. I followed all the dieting recommendations very strictly and overall lost 70 pounds in about a year," she said.

Knowing how her life hung in the balance and that the genetic test ended up rescuing her, DiBartoloemo recommended everyone be tested, too.

"These are tests that just aren’t available through general practitioners and it’s much more affordable and efficient than having to go to specialists just to get the same diagnosis, like what happened to me," she said.