Bracing Against the Curve: Anakalia’s Story of Strength and Support from Shriners Children’s

Anakalia was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).

Unlike many families, her parents were fully prepared to care for a child with this disorder. Her dad, Mike, was born with the same condition. “They asked me if I wanted to do testing to see if she had OI,” said Anakalia’s mom, Krystine. “I said no – I knew I wanted to keep her either way.” Krystine got the news that her baby would have OI during an ultrasound, showing that little Anakalia already had fractures.

Commonly referred to as brittle bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta is a rare, permanent genetic disorder that prevents the building of strong bones. Children with the disorder have bones that break easily and they may have deformed bones. OI can also result in fragile teeth, spine curvatures, hearing loss and weak muscles.

The cause of osteogenesis imperfecta can be traced back to genetics; more specifically, a gene defect that influences collagen production. Collagen is a protein that is vital to healthy bone development. With OI, either the body does not produce enough collagen, or the collagen that is produced does not work properly. Most children with OI inherit the gene defect from one or both parents. In Anakalia’s case, it was inherited from her dad. “I’ve been through almost all of the same things she has,” said her father, Mike, who was also treated at Shriners Children’s Northern California.

Anakalia’s osteogenesis imperfecta is categorized as OI Type III. Infants with OI Type III are typically born having already experienced fractures in utero. A shorter stature, curved spine, rounded rib cage and other bone conditions are characteristic of Type III OI.