What is the reason that methemoglobinemia was isolated to the Troublesome Creek area of KY?
“A rare but very noticeable condition of abnormal hemoglobin affects the “blue people of Troublesome Creek”. Seven generations ago, in 1820, a French orphan named Martin Fugate who settled in this area of Kentucky brought in an autosomal recessive gene that causes methemoglobinemia.
Are the Blue Fugates still alive?
Isolation and in-breeding passed on the disorder. The last in the direct line of Fugates to inherit the gene was Benjamin “Benjy” Stacy, whose skin at birth was “as Blue as Lake Louise,” according to doctors at the time. He now lives in Alaska, according to Facebook.
What is blue skin disorder?
Argyria is a rare skin condition that can happen if silver builds up in your body over a long time. It can turn your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails, and gums a blue-gray color, especially in areas of your body exposed to sunlight. That change in your skin color is permanent.
Is the book Woman of Troublesome Creek a true story?
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was inspired by the true, historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse Library Service, which spanned the 1930s and early ’40s during eastern Kentucky’s most violent era.
Is Troublesome Creek a real place in Kentucky?
Troublesome Creek is a real place in Breathitt, Perry and Knott counties. The Pack Horse Library Project was a real effort to bring books to Eastern Kentucky between the years of 1935-1943.
Where do the Blue Fugates live?
It was real bad in her.” Benjy Stacy was the latest child born in a long line of Fugates – the blue people of Kentucky – who had lived in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky for the past 197 years.
Why did the Fugate family have blue skin?
The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the “Blue Fugates” or the “Blue People of Kentucky”, are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin.
What would cause blue skin?
Cyanosis occurs when there’s too little oxygen in the blood. Oxygen-rich blood is deep red and causes your skin’s normal color. Under-oxygenated blood is bluer and causes your skin to look bluish purple. Cyanosis can develop quickly due to an acute health problem or external factor.
Are there any living blue people of Kentucky?
The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the “Blue Fugates” or the “Blue People of Kentucky”, are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin….Blue Fugates.
| Fugates | |
|---|---|
| Members | Benjamin Stacy |
Which is better the book Woman of Troublesome Creek or the giver of stars?
Jan The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is much better, more historical where Giver of Stars is entertaining. Reading Troublesome Creek you will not only learn about the Pack Horse Librarians of the WPA, but also about the Blue People, a group I’d never heard of.
Scientists say that multiple generations of inbreeding resulted in a genetic condition that caused them to be born with blue skin. It is so incredibly rare, nobody has ever seen an example of it since. This painting of the Blue Fugates is all we have left to represent the family. Credit: Owlcation
What are the health effects of Blue Fugates?
Most of blue Fugates never suffered any health effects and lived into their 80s and 90s. “If you are between 1 percent and 10 percent, no one knows you have an abnormal level and this might be the case in a lot of unsuspecting patients,” he said.
What kind of skin did the Fugates of Kentucky have?
Fugates of Kentucky: Skin Bluer than Lake Louise. The most detailed account, “Blue People of Troublesome Creek,” was published in 1982 by the University of Indiana’s Cathy Trost, who described Benjy’s skin as “almost purple.”.
Who are the Blue Fugates of Troublesome Creek?
The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the “Blue Fugates” or the Blue People of Kentucky, are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the disease methemoglobinemia, which gives sufferers blue-tinged skin.