"When Krista was born, she didn't cry," recalls her mother, Mary.  She says that she and her husband, Bob, immediately sensed that something was wrong with their first child.  "The doctor held her up quickly before whisking her away," Mary remembers.  "We could see that her fingers and toes were fused, and we knew something was definitely wrong."

Krista was born with a bone blocking her nose.  It closed off her airway, sending her into cardiac arrest.  She spent the next six weeks in a local hospital while doctors tried to surgically create an airway.  During that time, Krista was diagnosed with Apert syndrome.

Apert syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.  Distinctive formations of the craniofacial region, and abnormalities of the hands and feet, characterize the disorder.  Since her diagnosis, Krista has had nearly 60 surgeries at local hospitals including Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.

Now 18, Krista is a Gillette volunteer.  She organized a book drive to benefit the organization.  It also helped her continue to work on her language skills.  Krista raised nearly $1,000 to buy books for Gillette's Burnsville Clinic.  She now spends time each week reading to children awaiting appointments there. 

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