An 11-year-old California boy has reportedly been asked to leave school
because he carries a cystic fibrosis gene and may pose a health risk to other
students at the school with the disease.
CBS San Francisco reports however that the boy, Colman Chadam, does not
have the incurable respiratory disease that is not contagious, but is only a
carrier of genetic mutations. The district wants Colman to transfer to a nearby
school district.
People with cystic fibrosis can carry bacteria that are potentially
dangerous to others with the condition. Colman's parents noted on a form the
boy had the gene, then nearly two months into the school year, officials at
Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto, Calif., told the family that Colman would
need to transfer because other students at Jordan suffer from the disease. "Honestly,
if I felt Colman was a risk to others, I would move him," the boy's mother
Jennifer told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I don't want anyone to get sick."
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease of the lungs and digestive system
that affects about 30,000 U.S. children and adults, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It is caused by a defective gene and its resulting
proteins producing unusually thick mucus that may clog the lungs leading to
dangerous infections or obstruct the pancreas, preventing the body from
breaking down and absorbing nutrients.
Fear of spreading those infections to other students with the disease
was what prompted the school board's actions. The Chronicle notes non-siblings
with the disease are advised to stay at least three to six feet away from each
other. "Based on the advice of medical experts, this is the zero risk
option, and most certainly helps our District deliver on its commitment to
provide safe learning environments," Palo Alto associate superintendent
Charles Young, said in a statement to ABC News.
But Colman's parents argue their child has been cleared by doctors as
not having the disease and thus not posing a risk to others. Millions of
Americans carry a defective cystic fibrosis gene, according to the National
Institutes of Health, but don't show any symptoms because a person must inherit
a defective gene from each parent to develop the disease. The NIH estimates 1
in 29 Caucasian Americans possess the gene.
Laurie Fink, a spokeswoman for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation told Life's Little Mysteries that is it is possible for someone to carry two defective
genes without showing signs of the condition. "Someone can have two
defective CF genes and not be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis for a variety of
reasons, including having nondisease-causing genes or genes that won't cause
symptoms until later in life," she said.
The Chadams have taken the case to court and a judge will hold a hearing
on his possible return to Jordan, according to CBS San Francisco.
CBS News
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