Word: amish
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Over the years, Morton has traced each family's genetic heritage through 14 generations. He has determined a carrier frequency for the disorder among the Amish of about 1 in 10 people. Working with Dr. Richard Kelley, a pediatrician, Morton diagnosed glutaric aciduria in 16 other Amish children. The doctors' studies predicted that 50 more children born in the next generation would inherit the two copies of the defective gene needed to cause the disorder. According to the statistics, without treatment nearly all would be disabled, and 12 of them would die before age 5. "Glutaric aciduria is a treatable...
Meanwhile, Morton's clinic has become a model for rural health care, reducing hospitalization for the disorders to one-tenth their historic rates. The Amish and Mennonites who use the clinic do not buy medical insurance or subscribe to Medicare, but instead depend on family and community for help. Says Dr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General: "Holmes Morton has forced his way into the hearts of the Amish people and, based on that trust, has accomplished a remarkable service...
Morton and his colleagues have tested thousands of Pennsylvania newborns for inherited metabolic disorders during the past five years and in the process discovered that more than half the children with glutaric aciduria are not of Amish descent. In fact, Morton points out, many countries, including Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Israel, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Canada and the U.S., have clusters of children with glutaric aciduria...
...Morton noted how his practice--and his life--had changed since he arrived in Lancaster County. "At first I shared information with this community that I thought would help them. Now I am indebted to them for what they have shared with me. As outsiders, we tend to view Amish traditions as archaic and feel they don't have much to teach us. But we should look at how the Amish keep families together and serve the needs of the disadvantaged, the ill and the aged. They have a much better way of dealing with these problems than we have...
Morton recalls visiting an Amish family just before he established his clinic. "We will be glad if you can learn to help these children," said the father of a boy who had just died. "But such children will always be with us. They teach a family how to love and accept the help of others." Morton has not only helped one small community on the fringes of modern society but also taught the world something new and quite important in the process...