Alena Galan was diagnosed with MPS VI, a rare genetic disease, when she was very young. Her body’s regular growth was hampered by this rare enzyme deficiency. As a result, her height increased to 4 feet and 3 inches. She also weighed less than 30 kg at one point.
Back then, after the diagnosis doctors predicted that Alena had at most five years to live. Luckily though, when 8-years-old, she met Dr. Max who was indeed a god sent. Thanks to his treatment, Alena became one of the first people in the country to receive an enzyme replacement infusion to fight the disease.
Alena went through multiple surgeries and was continually in and out of the hospital. And lately, although having prescribed a five-hour infusion of medicine every week, she is happy to be living many more years, against all odds.
