Okay, okay.  If I hear one more "Precious Moment" joke, I am going to hurl.  I mean, seriously.  Can't people just get over it already and see that other than my funny, weird face, I'm a normal kid??

My name's Casey.  Casey Dawn Hackberry.  I'm ten years old, live with my mom and dad in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  The snow bowl.  The frigid zone.  BRR!!  LOL  I am a typical kid in a lot of ways:  that is, I love to have fun.  I love to skateboard, write stories or poems, read (I'm a voracious bookworm; I can never get enough of books!!), draw, ride my bike or swim when it's warm, hang out with my friends.

I'm in the fifth grade at Taylor Elementary School.  My teacher's Miss Geortge.  I have many friends, and I love hanging out with them at any chance I can.

So now you see my face.  You're probably wondering why I look like this.  Enlarged lower jaw, upper jaw.  Let's face it:  I look like a Precious Moments character.  A cherub.  *DING, DING, DING*  (Hint, hint; what is WRONG witih this kid??  Clue in the answer!! *Ding, ding, ding!!*)  I don't look like most kids, but that should not detract from you getting to know me better!

I'm a lot like you, and you'll soon find that out once you get to know me.

I have a condition known as cherubism.  Basically, in simple terms, it means I have abnormal bone growth in my jawbones, and it's altered how I look.  From what I've heard explained by my doctors and my parents, it starts in early childhood.  Both the mandible (lower jaw) and the maxilla (upper jaw) become enlarged due to bone being replaced with painless, cyst-like growths.  These growths give my cheeks the swollen, round appearance that you see when you set your eyes upn me. 

It has affected my tooth development; I have funny looking teeth to go along with my funny looking face. 

In some people, cherubism is mild; they don't even realize they have it, and they look, well, normal.  In other people, such as myself, however, it is very easy to see.  Sometimes people have such serious problems with their cherubism that can affect how they talk, eat, even breathe.  It can be a scary condition if it's bad enough.  Thank God mine isn't, but I do have a weird looking face!

Now, the jaw enlargement continues throughout childhood; however, there's a silver lining in all this.  It stabilizes (slows or even stops) during puberty.  The abnormal growths are gradually replaced with normal bone, and by early adulthood, most people with cherubism start looking pretty good. 

The cause of cherubism is unknown, but some doctors think that there's an abnormal gene mutation.  It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which simply means that one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sometimes sufficient enough to cause the disorder.

The incidence of cherubism is unknown.  It's that rare.  Not many people have it, which is why most people don't know about it.

There's really no treatment for cherubism, but if the cyst-like growths get too big, to cause problems with breathing, talking, etc., surgery may then be needed.  I've had two surgeries, but now I'm fine.  It's diagnosed upon a physical examination and/or MRI or cat scan; periodic MRI or cat scans are needed to check up on the progress of the cyst like growths, so no unexpected problems can develop. 

Children with cherubism generally can have normal lives.  I mean, look at me.  I have cherubism, but it doesn't have me!  I'm a normal kid who loves to have fun!  :)

Well, I am going to get ready for school.  I will write in here again soon; I have more to tell.  Until next time, this is your new friend, Casey, saying so long!  Take care and may the Good Lord keep you in His care!

'Bye!!

~Casey Dawn Hackberry, age 10 years.  :)