Imagine Being 13-Years-Old And Never Being Able To Eat Cake At A Birthday Party Or Grab A Slice Of Pizza After School. For A Shreveport Middle School Student Lauren Petrosh This Is Life, And This Is Permanent. Since Birth, Lauren Has Had A Medical Disorder Called Pku Which Prevents Her From Metabolizing Phenylalanine, An Essential Amino Acid That Is Found In Most Foods. But Lauren Takes Her Disease In Stride And Says It Has Taught Her One Thing In Particular.

“Responsibility. Because Normally You Don't See 13-Year-Olds Eating Salads And Fruit. You Usually See Them Eating Chips And Cookies”, said Lauren Petrosh.

Lauren May Not Be Able To Consume Everything Other Teens Eat, But A Fda Approved Drug Called Kuvan Which Helps To Control The Level Of Toxins In Her Blood, Is Changing Lauren's Luck. The First And Only Prescription Drug To Treat Patients With Pku Is Allowing Lauren To Eat And Digest More Food.

“I Was Very Excited, Because I Had Never Thought That There Would Be A Special Type Of Drug Like This. But Yeah I Was Pretty Excited”, said Lauren Petrosh.

And What Did All Of That Excitement Drive Lauren To Do. She Made A Science Fair Project That Featured The Effects Of The Drug On Her Disease. Before The Drug Was Even Approved By The Fda, The 13-Year-Old Researched And Studied How Kuvan Affected Her Body.

“I Tested It For About A Month, I Took A Blood Test Weekly. And At The End Of The Month I Interpreted The Results”, said Lauren Petrosh.

“I'm Proud Of Lauren, She Has Done A Great Job, She Is Real Responsible And She Has Taken On A Huge Task”, said Lauren Petrosh’s mother, Andrea Petrosh.

The Unique Science Fair Project Won Lauren Third At The Regional Competition And She Is Headed To State.
The Experience Has Taught Both Lauren And Her Mom That Even A Disease Doesn't Have To Get In The Way Of Living.

“It Is Great To Be Different Sometimes...Everybody Is Different. Some People Just Have Different Medical Needs”, said Lauren Petrosh.

“You Can Work Through It And Still Be Healthy And Smart And A Straight A Student”, said Andrea Petrosh.