#95 Kieger Family on Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Author Laura Kieger and her son, Dr. Alexander Kieger, share their family’s courageous, century-long struggle with a rare genetic cancer syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.

Familial adenomatous polyposis is a rare, genetic cancer predisposition syndrome caused by a deletion mutation in the APC gene on chromosome 5. By the age of 40, nearly 99% of untreated patients will develop cancer.

This is the dark shadow that has lingered over their family since at least 1911, when Mary Regan Baker was seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for symptoms of a disorder that would become commonplace in her descendants.

Through deeply touching personal stories of love, heartbreak, and hope, Laura’s book, Summer’s Complaint, explores the meaning of family and how tragic loss leads to the remaking of life in the face of a rare genetic mutation.

Laura obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) and a Master’s degree in Human Development from St. Mary’s University. Dr. Alexander Kieger is a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist at Vascular Institute of Virginia. He graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from Northwestern University’s The Feinberg School of Medicine.

Enter the GIVEAWAY on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram to WIN 1 of 10 signed copies of Summer’s Complaint. The giveaway ends on December 14 at midnight eastern time, and winners will be randomly selected. To be eligible for entry you must have a US shipping address. You can enter giveaways on all social media networks, however a maximum of one copy will be awarded to each person.

You can also buy the book directly on Amazon. Learn more about the Keiger family on Laura’s website. Stay updated by following Laura on Twitter and Dr. Alexander Kieger on Twitter and Instagram.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on December 21st, I interview the CEO/President of Backpack Health, Jim Cavan. Backpack Health is a mobile and cloud-based app that helps people with chronic, serious and rare health concerns better manage their health journeys.

New episodes are released on the first and third Fridays of the month. Can’t wait? There are 94 other episodes to explore in the meantime.

See what else I am up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and iTunes. Questions/inquiries can be sent to Kira at info@DNApodcast.com.