Crown Media Cameron Mathison
Cameron Mathison is known for being authentic with his social media followers. The Hallmark star opened up again for Rare Disease Day, revealing to his followers that as a child, he had a severe rare disease that impacted his life for years.
He Had to Wear Leg Braces All Day & Night for 4 Years
In an Instagram post, Mathison revealed that he had Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which required him to wear leg braces all day and night for four years. Along with his post, he shared photos of himself as a child wearing the restrictive leg braces.
He wrote in his post, “In honor or Rare Disease Day I’m posting about the rare degenerative bone disease I had as child: Legg Calve Perthes Disease. I was diagnosed at two years old and wore this leg brace night and day for 4 years to allow my femur bones to harden and support my body.”
He said treatment has changed quite a bit since he was a child, but science still has a long way to go when it comes to learning more about the disease.
One person asked him if he had to do physical therapy after the braces came off, and he said, “for years yes.”
Hallmark star Nikki DeLoach replied, “As a mom of a child that has also battled through so much, these stories fill a mother’s soul up with such hope. Thank you, my friend, for always sharing the struggle as well as the triumph. Love you. ❤️”
Hallmark star Bethany Joy Lenz replied, “I love these photos ♥️ and how happy you look in spite of the clear adversity. Wow. You just never know what someone has been through to make them into the person they are today. I’ll tell you, since our mutual soap opera days, your reputation has been consistent… ‘Mathison? He’s a GREAT guy’ 🙏👊”
One follower, @lindakp13, commented that her younger brother had the same disease and was diagnosed in 1972. She wrote, “My Mom made velcroed pants as he wasn’t allowed out of the brace, even to bath. A rough few years for all. He would get along on a skateboard. Was homed school until he got on crutches. Years went by, no sports for him. Went on to become one of NYs finest NYPD. Thanks for bringing awareness !!”
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
According to Mayo Clinic, Legg-Calve-Perthes occurs when the ball part of the hip joint (called the femoral head) loses its blood supply. The joint starts to die and fracture, and may later heal once the blood supply is restored. But the ball part of the joint may no longer be round, which can cause other problems, including pain and arthritis later in life.
Boston Children’s Hospital reported that there’s no specific known cause for the disease, Girls tend to have more severe cases, but boys are more likely to have the condition.
Mayo Clinic reported that treatment involves promoting healing in such a way that as the femoral head is restored, it retains a round shape. Sometimes this is done with a cast that keeps a child’s legs spread apart. Other children may need surgery, especially if they are diagnosed a little older. If caught very young, children may only need to restrict their activities, use crutches, and participate in physical therapy.
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