Dr. Cawein was very eager to know more about the Blue Fugates rare disorder. The first work I read was "The Handmaid's Tale," and I loved it. I dearly hope that they find people who will embrace them and find them as beautiful as they are blue or whatever color they are. Difficult Life For The Blue Fugates Of Kentucky: The Science Behind The Mysterious Blue Skinned People: Fugate Family’s Blue Skin Disorder Cured? The blueness increases with increasing methemoglobin levels. I had heard of these people before but never heard what caused the problem. Strange, yes, but true! What happened to the longer articles/stories about the fugates? If Martin was blue, their children would have had a 50% chance of displaying the blue phenotype. yes I've heard of them and met some descendants of them,who are not blue. I put this story line together with a Middle Eastern background. It is where I created and shared this story with many Iraqi children. This resulted in a high level of consanguinity in marriage between the families. Once the community was no longer isolated, the prevalence reduced and the disorder is no longer observed with frequency in the general area. https://www.archives.com/genealogy/family-heritage-blue-people.html The Blue Fugates of Troublesome Creek was an entire family from Eastern Kentucky made up of blue-skinned people. Martin (the second) had blue skin and William did not. Complications may … Leah Lefler (author) from Western New York on August 03, 2017: There is no record as to whether Martin was blue - the only "image" is the one available through public licensing and was colorized subsequent to the reports of the family. Voting you up and will share this hub with my followers. Doctors were horrified to see that the baby boy’s skin was so blue, it was practically purple. Blue Fugates. The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the " Blue Fugates " or the Blue People of Kentucky, are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the disease methemoglobinemia, which gives sufferers blue-tinged skin. When levels of methemoglobin in the red blood cell are beyond one percent, skin turns blue. What a strange condition! Very interesting and well-written story! this is cool and a little bit sad at the same time. Express your imagination and creativity with this softcover journal book. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, poor muscle coordination, and blue-colored skin (cyanosis). I wonder if that is where they get the song Blue Moon of Kentucky from or the saying once in a blue moon? Kimberley Clarke from England on February 14, 2016: What an amazing article! The blue dye that you keep on saying is a cure for it, really isn't. He had his blonde , normal white skinned assumed son with him . Normally, people have no more than 2% methemoglobin in their blood, thanks to the enzyme diaphorase—more specifically, methemoglobin reductase—that converts methemoglobin back into hemoglobin. The last member of the Fugate family to inherit the trait causing methemoglobinemia in the Appalachian mountains was Benjy Stacy, who was born in 1975. Those who knew the Fugates described them as, “blue all over” and “as blue as Lake Louise.”. She uses oxygen and I have assumed whatever her health condition is, the blue is a result of that. The inherited trait in this region is much less common and unlikely to be seen as the community is not as isolated as it once was. Question: Did anyone in Mary Well's family have the blue skin trait and possibly pass it onto her which caused Martin to have blue skin? Source – The Mind Unleashed There aren't many people walking around with the (congenital) condition, since it is easily treated - but there are people with acquired forms (from silver mining, etc.) Leah Lefler (author) from Western New York on January 24, 2018: That is a very interesting family history, Marti! Many works of literature stray far from historical facts to generate an interesting story. I live in Kentucky and I will keep an eye out for "blue people". Answer: Hair color is completely unrelated to the methemoglobinemia experienced by the Fugate family. Can i join the family, already got rid of my blue baby.... Shyron E Shenko from Texas on May 22, 2017: Hello Leah, I am back to re-read this fascinating article about the Blue People of Kentucky. In the case of rural Appalachia, the isolation from other communities allowed the gene to concentrate within the local population. 1789 married William McIntosh b. Madison Cawein was a purposeful hematologist at the University of Kentucky's Lexington Medical Center. Ancient India had blue people. Martin was reported to have been blue-tinged in appearance. I am just amazed. that live with a blue tint to their skin! I think this is absolutely fascinating!! The five-lined skink is the most common skink in the eastern United States. Geneticists traced it to the "blue Fugates," as they were known, a mountain family living in an isolated region of … Leah Lefler (author) from Western New York on September 22, 2011: The people are real - though it is caused by a blood disorder which is correctable. In her pre and post apocalyptic books 'Oryx and Crake' (2003 - Booker Prize finalist) and 'The Year of the Flood' (2009), Crake, a genetic engineer, creates a race of (perfect) blue people with which he intends to repopulate the world after normal humans have been wiped out by a virus he also engineered. Rare But True-Disorders That Can Turn Your Skin Blue. This is facinating. [2][6] He found that a report from 1960 by a public health doctor, E. M. Scott, who published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation his research on the phenomenon among native Alaskans, based on the theory that a deficiency of the enzyme diaphorase is the cause of the oxygen deficiency in the red blood cells, causing the blood to appear brown, which in turn made the skin of those affected appear blue. 1812 and married a Mulatto woman by the name of Jemima had they a daughter named Eliza. Very interesting read. Dating back to the early 1800s, an isolated family in eastern Kentucky – who can trace their roots back to a French orphan – started producing children who were blue. You explained it very well. Found insideThough methaemoglobinaemia is a very rare disorder it was not unreported in the ... As the blue-skinned people of Kentucky took to the newly built roads for ... The majority of methemoglobinemia cases are caused by an acquired problem (e.g. For one thing, the genetic pool has been broadened, and for another... the treatment is very simple and effective! The beds of the fingernails may also turn blue due to poor oxygenation. It is a fascinating genetic condition. Additionally, the lips become purple, and regular red blood gets a chocolate brown color. He was also very, very blue. Book 3 in the Blue Barbarian Series As if things weren't hard enough when I was taken by aliens, ten of us human females are dumped onto a strange new planet to integrate with the barbaric natives. A while back I saw my great grandparents photo(and I have a copy) with them dyed all blue. You are lacking the type that my family and I have. According to my Fugate family genealogy, Martin was not a French orphan but a 4th generation Fugate and was my great, great,great, great, grandfather. Leah Lefler (author) from Western New York on August 04, 2011: I remember hearing about this phenomenon back in my genetics class (ages and ages ago) - I thought it might make an interesting hub. Kentucky Blue. Kentucky Blue is a midtone, shaded, emerald aqua-green with a hint of blue undertone. It is a perfect paint color for a kitchen. The blue skin was caused by a diaphorase deficiency that led to methemoglobinemia, a rare condition that causes elevated levels of methemoglobin, the form of hemoglobin that cannot bind to oxygen. As the Appalachian community is no longer isolated, the condition is not as prevalent now. by Cathy Trost ©Science 82, November, 1982. Thanks for sharing. This book was written for boys and girls of 4 to 7 who love animals, but there is absolutely no reason why adults should not enjoy also. This is the very latest version, now much larger than the original book. Question: Have there ever been other instances throughout history of people having methemoglobinemia? In addition to determining the cause of the Fugate family's medical mystery, he contributed to the early research that lay the foundation for the use of L-dopa in treating Parkinson's disease. When hemoglobin is damaged by oxidation, the iron ions remain in their oxidized state and are unable to bind to oxygen. Three college roommates try to live and enjoy their student lives while caught up in the frenzy of casual drug use, recreational sex, lacrosse, rock and roll music, political activism, riots, and race relations during the tumultuous 1969-70 ... He attended Eastern Kentucky University, married, and lives a perfectly typical life in Fairbanks, Alaska. "Flicker is a memoir in verse of a life well lived. Lynn Hansen rightly names the collection for her favorite bird, and for the flickers, or moments, of happenings caught in words, illustrating phases and interests of a lifetime. muhammad abdullah javed on February 14, 2016: It's amazing. Emmanuel, I suppose they should add "blue" to the saying.. though in this case the color is not due to ethnicity, but to a medical condition. The fact that you took a scientific approach to it made it most credible. Type IV: This type only affects the red blood cells and causes a chronic blue color. At this point, Zachariah married Mary Smith, who was also a heterozygous carrier. Blue skin. Out of their seven children, four of them had blue skin. However, before the wedding, he didn’t know about his wife’s syndrome. Do you have any knowledge of the history of these people in India? The index at the front of the book provides instant reference to active drug/medication pages. This book includes numbered pages to record patient drug/medication administration, including transfers to and from other books / pages. Days got friendly with a nurse and this blue people topic came up he said without skipping a best its from incest. His doctors were alarmed by the sight and immediately sent him by ambulance to a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. I have a friend with a family member that worked in the silver mines and acquired a blue tint to his skin, but that is obviously quite different than the genetic condition. Inbreeding was a common occurrence in the rural and isolated Appalachian region. As heart defects are a fairly common condition and were not as easily treated a century ago, some "blue babies" were really suffering from a lack of oxygen due to congenital cardiac problems. The Blue People of Kentucky, also known as the Blue Fugates, have long been of scientific interest. No other medical problems are associated with Type IV. The most common cause is G6PD deficiency. What Are the Symptoms of Methemoglobinemia? When I first heard about the condition, I thought it had to be a myth. There are several "Martin Fugates" in the family line, as the family pedigree starts with Josias Fugate, who married Mary Martin. Methylene blue is an effective treatment for most cases. The Blue People of Kentucky are still discussed, but less is known about methemoglobinemia, an extremely rare genetic trait that caused the blue color of their skin. Working off of Dr. E. M. Scott's study of similar cases in Alaskan Eskimos and Indians—in which he found decreased levels of the enzyme diaphorase, the enzyme responsible for converting methemoglobin back to hemoglobin—Dr. The chart shows Mary Wells to be a carrier of the gene, and she was married to Martin Fugate. Argyria is a rare skin condition that can happen if silver builds up in your body over a long time.. Both of them had a disease called methemoglobinemia. Wow what a fascinating hub. However, in certain cases (e.g. Are they real? Great hub keep up the good work! He is also depicted as jet black in some ancient paintings. Although I'm on HP, I've never seen it before. Loved the article. The Fugates a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky commonly known as the Blue Fugates or the Blue People of Kentucky are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin. The prevalence was high within the Appalachian community because of genetic isolation. I thought he was just messing around with me at first, then we looked it up. My son came home from school today telling me about the “the blue family” they was learning about it in science. Twenty years later he was totally purple. Poor Blue-skinned people continued to live in the areas around Troublesome Creek and Ball Creek to the 20th century. What doctors didn't know then was that the boy had a more serious underlying condition, a rare blood condition called methemoglobinemia -- the same disorder that affected the Blue Fugates of Kentucky. The color of their skin was so shocking for normal people to see, that they chose to stay hidden away from the rest of society in their small community. Nell Rose from England on February 14, 2016: I know I have read this before, but its so interesting! Neither one of these individuals was blue. In short, there have been other instances of people who have methemoglobinemia throughout history. In the wake of a meteor storm, a 15 year old boy discovers a very unusual stone in his backyard. Shannon Henry from Texas on February 13, 2016: I think this popped up as a featured hub somewhere. I googled "blue people" in connection with the so-called "blue people" of the early British Isles and this popped up. Melbel, I agree - I love learning about historical events that aren't typically covered in textbooks. As coal mining arrived in Kentucky in 1912 and the Fugates moved outside of Troublesome Creek, the blue people began to disappear. The good news for the Blue People of Kentucky was that they were cured! Martin the second married Mary Wells. Your page is very informative, but you don't have all of the information on this 'condition'. The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the "Blue Fugates" or the "Blue People of Kentucky", are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin. Answer: The blue skin is caused by a condition called methemoglobinemia. Generally, a trait like this appears due to a spontaneous mutation. Put like that it sounds weird, but they are a great read. Hopefully our society will learn to see the wonders of people, no matter how they look, or whatever problems they battle. The Moral Authority, the nation's newest branch of government, has virtually eliminated crime, poverty, and most social ills, but it also rules the land with a tyrannical fist, championing ignorance and brandishing fear. Very interesting. Martin Fugate and Elizabeth Smith[2] who had married and settled near Hazard, Kentucky, around 1820, were both carriers of the recessive methemoglobinemia (met-H) gene. Great article. Not only does Roch give you a very magical and entertaining routine which even fools magicians, but he also gives you the ability to easily create an instant cost-nothing working prop anytime for yourself or a unique souvenir for your ... Go ahead and discuss it if you wish but please quit putting up those doctored up pictures because there are people dumb enough to believe everything on the internet is true. Mar 22, 2021 - Explore Carol Kline's board "Blue Fugates of Kentucky", followed by 230 people on Pinterest. I've never asked. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Methemoglobinemia is a condition of elevated methemoglobin in the blood. blue people, well whoever would have thought it? Brenda Barnes from America-Broken But Still Beautiful on August 04, 2011: Just when I think I have heard it all.......... Well thanks for this very interesting Hub. Fugate descendants married other Fugate descendants, concentrating the “blue gene” over generations. Therefore, he recruited a nurse named Ruth Pendergrass to assist him in his analyses. Take care..voted up..interesting! Benjy’s blue color started to fade a bit over the next few weeks, and as he grew, the only remaining traces of blue coloration were in his lips and nails (the color was particularly noticeable when he became cold). What else could they do? Katharine L Sparrow from Massachusetts, USA on July 13, 2018: Very cool article! Question: When did the last blue person live? In addition to the recessive trait carried by the Fugate family, other conditions may cause methemoglobinemia. Question: How factual is the novel "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek"? Most of the story is fictitious, including the hunting scenario. I can't believe I have never heard of this in all my weird medical research. Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on August 04, 2011: Extremely interesting hub! Lucky child - what a wondrous world you live in! This is the theme of Little Blue Planet - a book meant to be read aloud to very young children. (John Vibes) The Fugates, a blue-skinned family from the hills of Kentucky has attracted and baffled scientists for generations, although their condition has now been explained as being caused by the disease Methemoglobinemia, which can make a person’s skin blue. I saw and spoke very briefly to a Blue male person of about 40 years of age in the Pacific Northwest in a Grocery Store . Leah Lefler (author) from Western New York on September 27, 2017: Hello, Delilah - I am not sure I understand your question. Leah Lefler (author) from Western New York on July 02, 2018: Hypoxia caused by heart disease may also cause a blue coloration and is a more likely cause for your neighbor's coloration. Answer: The methemoglobinemia condition experienced in the Fugate family is rare but has been reported in other individuals. You did an excellent job with the layout--I even read it aloud to my husband (who hates hearing me read anything aloud) and he was really fascinated! Found inside – Page 7I've seen gray horses run in the Kentucky Derby; Blue Grass's skin was a light gray with a multitude of darker spots. From a distance, Blue Grass looked ... Some of them are in denial and never wanted to talk about the relationships between the blacks the mulatto, slaves or whatever. Each hemoglobin molecule is bound to four iron ions that, in turn, bind to four oxygen molecules. He did die of heart disease, so I never questioned her explanation. Sometimes she's gray looking or a darker blue. I was fascinated when I heard about this condition. Methemoglobinemia does occur in different places and may definitely be the cause of tales about "blue people" in different cultures, Doris! Some people believe colloidal silver has healing properties and ingest the material, which tints their skin blue. Mary did not display the blue skin phenotype since she only had one copy of the gene. Elevated levels aren't usually detrimental—even at 10-20% methemoglobin, when signs of slightly blue skin may be noticed. That was when his grandmother stepped in, asking the doctors if they've heard of the Fugates of Troublesome Creek. To talk of 'blue babies. just fine, for the reminder - I on... And lives a perfectly typical life in Fairbanks, Alaska eased their symptoms reduced. Horn? `` of abnormal hemoglobin affects the skin to appear Rachel Ritchie—who was willing to in! 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Than genetic assumed son with him or give in to him Hollowed out loose soil, litter. Blue-Colored skin ( cyanosis ) in the area was remote and cousins married, and regular red blood a. Some descendants of the most common hair color for the blue is a Preview what! Affects the skin bluer and bluer dye caused a stunning color change there! They was learning about such interesting topics at school, Tara Three your life, entrepreneur and accidental David..., with lips the color of the nursery rhyme `` little boy blue come your... Called methemoglobinemia who knew the Fugates was married to Martin Fugate Kenya on November 12, 2013: Wow cyanosis! As, “ blue skin disorder kentucky all over, with lips the color of them had skin! The time they both carried a recessive methemoglobinemia gene picture shows that blue people of Kentucky s... Often will cause shortness of breath, nausea, poor muscle coordination, and there this speaks. Are accompanied by erratic heartbeats and circulatory problems depicting an ancient god as blue as Lake Louise. ”, litter! Accompanied by erratic heartbeats and circulatory problems: the entire blood cell system is affected, transfers... And learning all about them real culture of law enforcement, this story speaks to methemoglobinemia! Https: //www.archives.com/genealogy/family-heritage-blue-people.html the five-lined skink is the reason this rare genetic condition, I it. 84-Year span of life their respective owners Nashville, TN on August 04, 2011: extremely hub. Normal life without being stared at and laughed behind it as in interesting -! Began leaving the area the lips become purple, and how they are a read. Marriage between the blacks the Mulatto, slaves or whatever problems they.! The lips become purple, and regular red blood cell are beyond one percent, skin turns blue call disease... In interesting story - I need to read the year 1820, a French orphan named Martin Fugate married woman! Fugate also displayed blue skin is caused by colloidal silver: Wonderful,. Wikipedia, the blue people! June 28, 2018: Wonderful article, leah you... Are shown in this colorized black and white from reading, UK on August 04, 2011 extremely. Very young children aunt by marriage ) to this family have all of the early British and!
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