Benefit for Pre-Schooler Who Lives with Turner Syndrome

When Stacie Vaszil’s doctors prenatally diagnosed her second child with Turner Syndrome, they told her the baby may not make it through birth, and if she did, she may not survive for very long.

Vaszil was not fazed.

“The doctors told me most women opt to terminate the pregnancy when this disorder is detected,” the Reisterstown resident said. “I basically said they can send me my bill, I’m going to go somewhere else because I’m not going to terminate my baby.”

That was more than three years ago. These days, Hayden, is basically a normal 3-year-old, aside from being the size of an 18-month-old because of her short stature.

Turner Syndrome affects about 1 out of every 2,500 female births and varies case to case, according to the National Institutes of Health. It can cause heart defects, a short stature, delayed puberty, infertility and a variety of other cosmetic and medical conditions.

In Hayden’s case, she has a high forehead, sunken eyes, small ear-nose-throat area, broad chest, sunken sternum, short stature, swollen hands and feet, is infertile and has gastrointestinal issues, to name a few. She also suffers from aortal coarctation in heart, a narrowing of the aorta.

“She says, ‘I special,’” her grandmother, Michelle Willet, said.

While Turner Syndrome does affect her in a variety of ways, she’s developmentally on track and is generally healthy, her nother said.

“She’s a pretty mild case,” Vaszil said. “You can imagine what these other girls go through.”

Tonight, Vaszil is holding a Longaberger Basket Bingo event at the Mount Airy carnival grounds to benefit the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States. The group aims to spread awareness of Turner Syndrome, with the objective of having every short girl evaluated for the disorder.

“Every girl and woman with Turner Syndrome, whether they have a preexisting condition or not, is at risk for aortic arctation,” said Natalie Bonfig, spokesperson for the Texas-based TSS, referring the heart condition Hayden suffers from which can inhibit blood flow. 

Bonfig said Stacie and Hayden are lucky they found out early.

“The prenatal diagnosis is really good when that happens. It solves a lot of problems,” she said. “Half [of the girls] aren’t diagnosed until they’re ten.”

Hayden sees an endocrinologist regularly, a geneticist once a year and a cardiologist semi-regularly to make sure her coarctation continues to not affect her heart.

Stacie, a full-time mom of Hayden and two other kids, 4-year-old Hailey and 9-month-old Brody, said she just takes things a day at a time and doesn’t let Hayden look at Turner Syndrome as a handicap.

“I don’t want to make her weaker because of it,” she said. “I want her to be stronger.”

The Longaberger Baskt Bingo is at the Mount Airy Carnival Grounds Acitivies Building, 2691 Twin Arch Road, Mount Airy, MD, 21771. Doors open at 6 p.m. and there will be food, drinks, games and door prizes. All proceeds go to the Turner Syndrome Society. For more info on how to purchase tickets or to make a donation, contact Stacie Vaszilat at 443-802-6369 oe svaszil@comcast.net.