KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) – A woman in the Piedmont is one of fewer than 5,000 Americans with a rare condition called Wolfram Syndrome.
It can cause loss of vision and muscle control, issues with the balance of fluids in your body, urinary tract problems and more.
The Kernersville woman is leaving next week to start a clinical trial at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
“I want to help myself, but I also know how terrible this disease is,” said Holly Hellard. “This diagnosis typically comes to children and me being a teacher like that pulls at my heart.”
For the 34-year-old, being enrolled in a clinical trial aimed at finding a cure for Wolfram Syndrome is bigger than herself.
“Knowing that I could potentially help even the children that get this diagnosis like that, that’s really huge to me,” she said.
Her journey to a diagnosis started more than a decade ago when she was a college student. After years of severe pain, dizziness, battles with skin and cervical cancer and no explanation why, Holly and her husband were at a loss.