Free Republic

Hundreds of people with Marfan syndrome came from around the country to the University of Pennsylvania over the weekend to hear good news. Years of genetic research may have yielded a "cure" for the most dangerous complications of this disorder. 13-year-old Westin Corbin from Arkansas has many of the hallmark signs of Marfan Syndrome - a disorder affecting the body's connective tissues. He is tall with unusually long arms, thin legs and flat feet, and a chest wall that seems to cave in. His joints are loose and hyper-flexible, but the real danger of Marfan's lies inside because it also...

Affected individuals often are tall, slender and loose-jointed. Arms and legs may be unusually long in proportion to the torso. Feet often are flat. The spine may be curved (scoliosis), and the breastbone may protrude or look caved in. The face may be long and narrow, with a high roof of the mouth and crowded teeth. Sorry for the Vanity, but J. F'ing Kerry sure looks like he fits the profile.