A mother is fighting back at trolls who labeled her a bad parent for allowing her daughter to weigh nearly 300 pounds.
Sherafian McDaniel, 29, from Atlanta, Georgia, is the mother of 11-year-old girl Angel. She has a rare genetic condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome. always insatiable hunger.
Angel has a voracious appetite, so she often wakes up in the middle of the night to sneak food into her room and eat until she feels sick. Her mother says her “sneak food” time is around 3am.
Weighing in at 275 pounds and just under five feet tall, Angel has a body mass index (BMI) of over 50 and an appetite that grows as he grows.
In the past 12 months alone, McDaniel told DailyMail.com her daughter had gained 70 pounds. Without her radical intervention, she could have eaten herself to death.
Angel eats three meals a day, with countless snacks in between, and her favorite dish is ramen. McDaniel says she eats everything, but she hates spicy food.
McDaniel created a TikTok to raise awareness about Prader-Willi Syndrome, urging people to “research” before attacking her.
“Nobody can take better care of Angel than I do,” she told DailyMail.com. i am her mom I was born on earth to take care of children. she is my child
Prader-Willi syndrome occurs when a gene on chromosome 15 inherited from the father is missing and not passed on to the child.
A defect in chromosome 15 disrupts the normal functioning of a part of the brain that releases hormones that control things like growth, sleep, mood and hunger.
Only 3,400 people in the United States have this disorder.
The patient usually only lives into his 30s, as excess fat increases the risk of various health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. However, some people are known to live into their 60s.
There are already danger signs for Angel. In June, Ms. Angel developed a large rash on her body and made her extremely thirsty.
Her mother took her to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with type 2 diabetes. That means she needs insulin before every meal and before she goes to bed.
There is no cure for Prader-Willi syndrome, but there are some treatments, such as taking appetite suppressants, which didn’t work for Angel, according to Angel’s mother.
McDaniel is considering hormone therapy, which is known to help manage the disorder, but Angel sleep apnea, a serious and sometimes fatal sleep disorder caused by excess fat, is , was told it would interfere because it could cause heart problems.
In addition to sleep apnea, Angel has hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland does not release enough thyroid hormone.
That slowed her metabolism down significantly, putting her at even greater risk of weight gain.
In addition to her constant need to eat, she also has developmental problems and struggles with verbal communication.
Assistance is required in bathing and going to the toilet.