Bio: Zuehlke, Freddy (Phenylketonuria - 1974)
Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail:
dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Zuehlke
----Source: Tribune Record Gleaner (Loyal, Clark Co., WI) 2/28/1974
Zuehlke, Freddy (Phenylketonuria - 1974)
Mingling with Mary (By Mary Woods)
For every little boy, an ice cream cone, a chocolate candy bar, or a peanut
butter-jelly sandwich is a true delight. But for Freddy Zuehlke, the biggest
delight he ever gets is the cone minus the ice cream, the peanut butter-jelly
sandwich minus the peanut butter, and chocolate candy bars he can only look at
and play with the wrapper. For Freddy Zuehlke, son of Mr. and Mrs. George
Zuehlke Jr. of Loyal, has a hereditary disease that does not allow him to eat
much protein.
Referred to as PKU, phenylketonuria, was discovered in Freddy at the age of five
days, when the doctors notified the Zuehlkes that their son had PKU. The
discovery of the disease was made by test that had been given to Freddy when he
was born. At birth, Freddy weighed eight pounds and six ounces. Explaining the
disease, Mrs. Zuehlke stated, “It’s a disease where the body is missing a liver
enzyme which breaks down the protein or amino acid.”
Returning to the hospital, the doctors put Freddy on a balanced diet in order to
limit the protein exchanges in his body. He was limited to 19 exchanges per day.
An exchange is 15 milligrams of protein, and, according to Mrs. Zuehlke, “he was
given the proper amount of protein that was needed to grow on, and not enough to
destroy his brain cells.”
Further explaining the disease, Mrs. Zuehlke stated, “When the amino acid does
not break down, the new brain cells are destroyed, and the brain is the only
organ that does not regenerate new brain cells in anyone.” According to her, the
discovery of PKU was made in Norway in 1934, but it wasn’t until 20 years later
that a way of treating it was developed. Many people who were born with the
disease long ago were mentally retarded as they grew, but today this seldom
happens if the treating and discovery of PKU is made at birth.
In Wisconsin along there are approximately 130 cases of PKU with seven babies
being born with the disease in 1973. The cause of PKU is both parents having one
deformed gene and one healthy gene. In this case, both Mr. and Mrs. Zuehlke are
carriers of PKU, which was discovered after the doctors made the discovery in
their son. The Zuehlkes have a daughter Traci, who has two chances in four of
being a carrier, which will be tested for at a later time.
For Freddy, his diet is made up of fruit, vegetables, and baked wheat starch
products. He is also allowed sugar and honey and sweets that do not contain such
high protein products as butter, milk, or eggs. He is also limited to the
quantity of his food, depending on the exchanges that are involved. Mrs. Zuehlke
stated, “We have to be aware of the exchanges that are involved, and
occasionally he can sacrifice certain exchanges for ‘special treats.’”
“The first year was the hardest in taking care of Freddy,” explained Mrs.
Zuehlke, “but now it is something that we understand and can handle without any
problem. When he gets a cold or the flu, his blood level goes up, which is bad,
but that is also something we have learned to control and be aware of. Perhaps
the greatest scare we have ever had was when he was a little over a year old he
ate a peanut butter sandwich, but after three days of cutting down his food, we
got his diet back to where it should be.”
The Zuehlkes have and continue to attend special classes and seminars on PKU.
While at the gathering, they get the chance to speak with other parents who have
the same problem with their child. Mrs. Zuehlke also stated that a monthly
newsletter is received from the Child Development Center in Madison and contains
certain recipes that may be used. “These things come in handy, and so useful,”
stated Mrs. Zuehlke.
For Freddy Zuehlke, at the age of almost four, the road ahead doesn’t seem to be
a bad one in many respects. With medical advancement, he will continue to grow
and develop as all the other boys that were born in 1970 or any other year. With
testing taking place now and then, doctors can tell of his development and will
someday tell Freddy that he can eat the whole cone, the whole sandwich, and that
candy bar that the other kids can eat, he can eat, too.
For Freddy, the biggest goal that he has yet to achieve is “to catch a fish and
EAT the whole thing!”
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