More about Charlie

Me and my disabled son Charlie visting a new surestart in kent
Charlie was born with muliple disabilitys including

A hole in the wall between your heart’s main pumping chambers (ventricular septal defect or VSD)
A valve between your heart and lungs that is too narrow (pulmonary stenosis or PS)
A right heart chamber with walls that are too thick (right ventricular hypertrophy)
A major blood vessel (aorta) that is misplaced or moved (overriding aorta)

These problems cause the blood entering and leaving your heart to mix. Blood that is low in oxygen (“blue”) mixes with blood that is oxygen-rich (“red”). Babies born with ToF sometimes are called “blue babies” because the lack of oxygen can makes them look blue (cyanotic).

partial deletion of chromosome 13

Chromosome 13, Partial Monosomy 13q is a rare chromosomal disorder in which a portion of the long arm (q) of chromosome 13 is missing (deleted or monosomic). The range and severity of symptoms may vary greatly, depending upon the exact size and location of the deletion on 13q. Chromosome 13, Partial Monosomy 13q is usually apparent at birth and may be characterized by low birth weight, malformations of the head and facial (craniofacial) area, abnormalities of the eyes, defects of the hands and/or feet, genital malformations in affected males, and/or additional physical abnormalities. Affected infants and children may also exhibit delays in the acquisition of skills requiring the coordination of mental and muscular activity (psychomotor retardation) as well as varying degrees of intellectual disability. In the majority of cases, Chromosome 13, Partial Monosomy 13q appears to occur randomly, for no apparent reason (sporadic)

Carpenter syndrome (not posting img of this as it can be very graphic)

Carpenter syndrome is a condition characterized by the premature fusion of certain skull bones (craniosynostosis), abnormalities of the fingers and toes, and other developmental problems.

Craniosynostosis prevents the skull from growing normally, frequently giving the head a pointed appearance (acrocephaly). In severely affected individuals, the abnormal fusion of the skull bones results in a deformity called a cloverleaf skull. Craniosynostosis can cause differences between the two sides of the head and face (craniofacial asymmetry). Early fusion of the skull bones can affect the development of the brain and lead to increased pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure). Premature fusion of the skull bones can cause several characteristic facial features in people with Carpenter syndrome. Distinctive facial features may include a flat nasal bridge, outside corners of the eyes that point downward (down-slanting palpebral fissures), low-set and abnormally shaped ears, underdeveloped upper and lower jaws, and abnormal eye shape. Some affected individuals also have dental abnormalities including small primary (baby) teeth. Vision problems also frequently occur.

Abnormalities of the fingers and toes include fusion of the skin between two or more fingers or toes (cutaneous syndactyly), unusually short fingers or toes (brachydactyly), or extra fingers or toes (polydactyly). In Carpenter syndrome, cutaneous syndactyly is most common between the third (middle) and fourth (ring) fingers, and polydactyly frequently occurs next to the big or second toe or the fifth (pinky) finger.

People with Carpenter syndrome often have intellectual disability, which can range from mild to profound. However, some individuals with this condition have normal intelligence. The cause of intellectual disability is unknown, as the severity of craniosynostosis does not appear to be related to the severity of intellectual disability.

Other features of Carpenter syndrome include obesity that begins in childhood, a soft out-pouching around the belly-button (umbilical hernia), hearing loss, and heart defects. Additional skeletal abnormalities such as deformed hips, a rounded upper back that also curves to the side (kyphoscoliosis), and knees that are angled inward (genu valgum) frequently occur. Nearly all affected males have genital abnormalities, most frequently undescended testes (cryptorchidism).

A few people with Carpenter syndrome have organs or tissues within their chest and abdomen that are in mirror-image reversed positions. This abnormal placement may affect several internal organs (situs inversus); just the heart (dextrocardia), placing the heart on the right side of the body instead of on the left; or only the major (great) arteries of the heart, altering blood flow.

The signs and symptoms of this disorder vary considerably, even within the same family. The life expectancy for individuals with Carpenter syndrome is shortened but extremely variable.

The signs and symptoms of Carpenter syndrome are similar to another genetic condition called Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome. The overlapping features, which include craniosynostosis, polydactyly, and heart abnormalities, can cause these two conditions to be misdiagnosed; genetic testing is often required for an accurate diagnosis.

Learning Difficulties doctors say he will live out his life (a happy one may I add) as a child never really growing much beyond the menal age of an 8 year old.