11-year-old with rare disease responds to Justin Bieber’s music
Megan Ham, a remarkable 11-year-old girl from Vancouver, WA., is "defying the odds" with a little help from Canadian teen sensation, Justin Bieber.
Shortly after being born, Megan was diagnosed with "one of the rarest conditions on the planet," Lissencephaly. With only 1500 known cases throughout the world, doctors informed her parents that she would "never be able to walk [or] talk" and didn't think that she would live past the age of two.
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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes defines Lissencephaly as literally meaning, "smooth brain" and describes it as, "A rare, gene-linked brain malformation characterized by the absence of normal convolutions (folds) in the cerebral cortex and an abnormally small head (microcephaly)."
The Institution also notes that there is no cure for Megan's condition and children with it may die before they reach the age of 10.
"We've just taken every step we can to make her quality of life longer," Megan's mother, Roxanne Ham told Fox 12. "But we still wake up every morning, hoping that she's still here with us."
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According to Fox 12, Megan's family was once informed that at some point their daughter wouldn't be able to recognize them or express emotion. That is, until her teachers at Hearthwood Elementary School in Vancouver, WA., saw her smile and begin to kick her feet when one of Justin Bieber's songs accidentally came on the classroom's radio.
"It really helps her to get through the day," Megan's teacher Kim Graves said. "It keeps her happy and it keeps her comfortable."
Seeing Megan's reaction to Bieber's music is something that her parents didn't think was possible and they are overjoyed to see their daughter so happy and able to interact with them.
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"We never thought we would feel that, from what the doctors said at the beginning," said Michael Ham, Megan's father. "This has really opened up a lot of doors."
Bieber is scheduled to perform in Portland this October and it's an event that Megan wishes to attend. However, since she also suffers from visual impairment, she may not be able to see or thoroughly appreciate the concert from the designated handicapped seats.
However, after hearing her amazing story, Bieber plans to make Megan's concert experience better than she could have ever anticipated.
"MEGAN you stay strong for me and I'm gonna make sure we meet when I come to Portland," Bieber tweeted shortly after the story's release. "Love you and Thank You :)"
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