2010: Landry Family

Genika Landry

The Landry family was our third Inspirational Family! Genika Landry was born with severe food allergies.

In May of 2008 at the age of four, Genika was playing with some friends and her older brother when she sustained a severe rope burn to her neck. Genika did not yell out or cry and this was the first sign that there was a problem other than the food allergies.  Her parents have been on a relentless search for answers since that day.

Genika has been seen by Neurologists from Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Henry Ford Health Systems, and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan.  All of the doctors seemed to agree that Genika has a rare neurological condition called Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy (HSAN).  Since the condition is so rare, and none of the doctors have ever worked with someone with HSAN, Genika and her parents traveled to New York City in April 2009 to meet with Dr. Felicia Axelrod of the Dysautonomia Treatment Center at New York University.

Dr. Axelrod confirmed the diagnosis of HSAN.  HSAN affects Genika in the following ways: she does not seem to feel pain or itch, and she develops canker sore type ulcers in her mouth and on her tongue almost daily.  It also has caused skin problems and digestive tract ulcers. One of the most challenging issues that the HSAN causes is that Genika is not able to regulate her temperature.  Her temp has extreme swings from excessively high to dangerously low within an hour or less.  Dr. Axelrod also told the family that she felt that Genika also had some type of autoimmune disease.

Since 2009, Genika has been under the care of a pediatric rheumatologist, allergy, immunologist, cardiologist, and GI specialists.  These doctors continue to monitor Genika’s growth, development, and ongoing health issues.  In July of 2013, Genika started experiencing seizures.  She is currently undergoing more tests to see if the seizures may be related in some way to the HSAN.

Genika is the daughter of Paul and Kim Landry and the younger sister to brother Spencer.