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- Posted Thursday October 10, 2013
Miss Arizona supports TGen's Center for Rare Childhood Disorders
Jennifer Smestad overcame Tourette Syndrome; now advocates for neurological research
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Oct. 10, 2013 - Jennifer
Smestad wasn't always the poised, well-spoken young woman who
earlier this year won the Miss Arizona competition.
As a child growing up in Gilbert, Arizona, Jennifer was hobbled by
an unknown disorder that left her hurt and frustrated, and at times
unable to function.
Her head would twitch violently, causing neck pains. She would
occasionally strike herself unconsciously. Sometimes she would make
"weird, high-pitched noises."
An associated obsessive-compulsive disorder made it difficult to
walk up stairs, since each step had to be perfect. And she found it
difficult to write, repeatedly erasing and starting over
again.
Her mother relentlessly researched what might be wrong with her,
seemingly online 24/7 and flying to distant cities to try to find a
cure.
"I had extreme anxiety, ending up at the hospital at times,"
Jennifer recalled. "I was constantly sore, and sometimes I just
wanted to just stay in bed all day."
After years of uncertainty, at age 10 she was diagnosed with
Tourette Syndrome, which causes involuntary movements and
vocalizations. Following years of counseling, medication and
finally acupuncture, by age 15 Jennifer was free of symptoms.
"It was such a relief when I was diagnosed," said Jennifer, who
plans to continue her college education, specializing in
communications and nutrition in hopes of someday landing a media
position, specializing in health and fitness.
Jennifer has tremendous empathy for the children and parents of
young patients seeking help from the Translational Genomics Research
Institute (TGen) for their own undiagnosed conditions. As a
contestant in Miss Arizona and Miss America, Jennifer has
championed the cause of childhood neurological disorders.
Now, she is supporting TGen's Center for Rare
Childhood Disorders, which is helping other children overcome
the kind of difficulties she faced as a child.
Jennifer hopes to appear at TGen functions to share her story and
provide hope for others, including a half-marathon as part of
TGen's "Run for Kids" Jan. 19 during the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll
Arizona Marathon, which for the first time includes TGen as an
official charity.
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with cancer, neurological disorders and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
