“Eating healthy has become a necessity for him,” his mother said. As a result, Antonio became aware of how important his diet is to his health. So weight gain is a very big part of the disease. “It’s like his brain tricks his body into how many calories he’s eating.” “He could eat an 800-calorie diet and still gain weight,” Candace Laguna said. The disease impacts how the brain transmits instructions or messages to the body such as breathing functions and when to stop eating. There is no known cure for the disease the only current prospect is to manage the symptoms. He requires quite a bit of medical attention and monitoring, including regular doctor visits and a machine to help control his breathing when he sleeps. As a disease that affects such a small number of people, ROHHADD is often referred to as an orphan disease, meaning very little money goes into researching the cause and treatments.Īntonio began showing symptoms of ROHHADD about 2½ years ago. ROHHADD stands for Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation. “Only a few people in the world have it at one time.” “ROHHADD is an extremely rare disease,” Robertson said. Since then, she became aware of the youth’s story and the family’s plight. Robertson learned about Antonio, who is from the Killeen area, when he and his parents, Candace and Frank Laguna, stopped by Backbone Valley Nursery several weeks ago. “He’ll be able to go out and pick fruit off the tree. “This is everything to him,” said Candace Laguna, Antonio’s mother. Robertson wants to make sure Antonio, who suffers from ROHHADD syndrome, experiences the joys of picking fruit from his own trees as soon as possible.Īntonio calls his future orchard his “picking farm.” And, she admitted, it’s not easy, considering it usually takes two to three years from planting for an orchard to produce fruit. Robertson and Backbone Valley Nursery have committed to making Antonio’s wish come true.
“He wants an orchard and a greenhouse,” said Jessica Robertson of Backbone Valley Nursery. But when it came for his Make-A-Wish choice, the 7-year-old boy decided on something completely different. TOBEYVILLE - Antonio Laguna could have wished for anything - a trip to Disney World, tickets to the Super Bowl or a chance to ride in a race car.
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