About the Story
Audie Savior was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) , aka brittle bone disease but fortunately she falls under Type I category, which means she breaks only a few more bones than an ordinary folk. She didn't want her medical bills cripple her family. Once people get to know that she's an OI kid, they start to pity her, they fear touching her because they are afraid that if she falls, she has the possibilities of breaking a bone, so OI is practically her deepest secret. Apparently, it looks like all her teachers know her deepest secret.
OI seemed to have been a pretty good reason for her birth parents to give her away, but even loads of reason never convinced her. Even though her adoptive parents were cool, she still kept thinking about her birth parents. She kept thinking she wasn't worth any attention.
What do they look like?
Do they have grey eyes like her?
Unlike other teenage girls, she didn't want to be noticed by others. Especially boys. She kept her gaze lowered and made sure she didn't have hots for anyone. She has never been in a relationship before because she was afraid that they'd just reject her once they come to know that she's a victim of OI, they'd just kick her out of their lives like she was a piece of trash, they'd just break her heart.
She has never gone on a date before, but when a particular boy asks her on one, she feels bound to consider it.
Except that winning his heart would mean betraying her bestfriend.
And exposing herself to his world.
In a way she had never exposed herself before . . .
Background Information
Oesteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by fragile bones that break easily. It's also known as brittle bone disease or, colloquially, glass bone disease. Incidence of OI is estimated at one in 10,000 to 15,000, although mild form of the disease often go undiagnosed. OI occurs both in men and women of all races and currently affects half a million people worldwide. The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation estimates at least 3,900 Britons and somewhere between 25,000-50,000 Americans have OI. Although the term Osteogenesis Imperfecta dates back to about 1895, there is evidence that it has affected people for millennia. Signs of OI had been recognised in an Egyptian mummy dating from 1000 BC and it also has been identified as the medical condition suffered by Ivan the Boneless who lived in ninth-century Denmark. Prince Ivan, according to a legend, was carried into a battle on a shield because he was unable to walk on his soft legs. More recently, it's thought that the French Post-Impressionist painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec may have had undiagosed OI or similar contidion. Today, famous OI sufferers include the actors Michael J. Anderson, Nabil Shaban and Julie Fernandez, best known as Brenda, her award winning role in the BBC comedy The Office.
Suggestions for Further Study on OI:
Trying to Grow by Firdaus Kanga
(turned into the 1997 film Sixth Happiness)
Fragile (2005 film)
Handle With Care by Jodie Picoult
(#1 NY Bestseller in 2009)
www.oif.org
www.oife.org
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Obscurity (Wattys2015)
Teen FictionI had two broken bones before I took my first breath. Now, my life is lived on a knife-edge. Born with brittle bone disease, I'll never learn to play softball like my siblings. Even walking can be dangerous, one wrong step and I am back in a cast. I...
