Breathless through the night
Marie has been suffering from a genetic defect since birth: Because her brain doesn't give any signals to breathe when she sleeps, she has to be artificially ventilated at night. But one day things take a surprising turn…
Marie, 19 years old, recently started studying; she is smart, has many hobbies and likes to spend time with her friends - during the day she leads a fairly normal life. At night, however, she struggles with a threatening problem: as soon as she falls asleep, she stops breathing! Marie has a rare genetic condition called "Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome" better known as Undine Syndrome. According to a story, the nymph Undine wanted to punish her lover for his infidelity. So she condemned him to breathing only consciously-he died as sleep overtook him. Marie almost had the same fate after her birth. As soon as she fell asleep for the first time, she turned blue. Luckily, her mother was able to get medical help immediately at the hospital. When the newborn woke up, it was breathing again, but the problem recurred every time it drifted off. The diagnosis was quickly made: Undine syndrome …
