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From:
Subject: Re: [GUS-REEB] Carolina Medical History
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 01:20:42 EDT


Thanks for the nice welcome, Diann. Medical research was part of my job as
a paralegal, years ago, and a natural extension of my genealogy research. I
have gathered death certificates for many of our Raye/Rappe/Rapp/Rape/Reeb
family members here in NC, and have contacted many cousins who share their
family medical history with me. All contributions to the Reeb/Rape/Rappe/Rapp/Raye
family medical history will be much appreciated. We will all benefit from
sharing this information. I will gladly respond to any questions about my
findings here in NC.

This is what I have learned so far:
Many of my living cousins struggle with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
(NAFLD). Numerous deaths were attributed to liver or kidney disease. I do not
know whether these disorders are higher for our Rape family than the national
average. Arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and lung
diseases do not appear unusually high. My grandfather, Charles Lee Rappe of
Charlotte NC died of a cerebral hemorrhage, at about age 54. There is a notably high
incidence of brain aneurysms in one branch of the Rape family of this area.
My father, Charles Jefferson Raye (b. 11 Oct 1917, d. Sep 1998) died of
emphysema.

Yes, there is also a personal reason for my interest in neuromuscular
disorders. My brother was Charles Patterson Raye (b. 16 Sep 1944 NC, d. 3 Sep 2003
SC). He was diagnosed with a rare type of Muscular Dystrophy known as FSHD.
His diagnosis was confirmed by muscle biopsy and DNA tests. I do not have that
same variant of the 4q35 gene. I was diagnosed for many years with
"clinically positive" MS, Multiple Sclerosis. Doctors were intrigued by the similar
symptoms of my brother & me, as well as the dissimilarities. They suggested I
pursue our genealogy & family medical history. This eventually lead to a
partial explanation.

My great-grandmother, wife of Charles Jefferson Rape of Union County NC, was
Nancy Jane Mills. She was the daughter of James Albert Mills Sr. & Nancy
Malinda Maples. I learned that my many Mills relatives from the Pageland
SC-Monroe NC area have a high incidence of an inherited neuromuscular disorder known
as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndrome. CMT is a slowly progressive weakness
that resembles MS and varies greatly. Medical research is now identifying
numerous subcategories of CMT and finding connections between CMT and many
secondary conditions. It appears that my brother and I both inherited CMT through
our Mills ancestry, with secondary conditions that may/may not have been
inherited through these same ancestors. Still researching . . . .

I descend from the Southern Rape family of the Carolinas, but I have read
where geneticists have tracked some inherited traits or medical conditions over
a thousand years, through many generations, and across several continents.
Geography and time do not completely separate those of us with a shared
heritage. I look forward to learning from all of you.

Myka

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