My name is Mieke Maartense and I'm 18 years old with Apert Syndrome. I'm living in 's-Heerenhoek, a little village on the southwest of Holland. When I was born, 26th of February 1984, my parents and the house-doctor saw, I was different then other children by birth. My fingers and toes were fused, the palate was still open, the fontanels still open and my yaws were standing otherwise. Nobody had seen this before, so they brought me to the nearest hospital. There they didn't know it too. But there was one doctor, who had visit the hospital that day, who knew what's wrong. His name was Vaandrager and he was very kind. He said it was possible to make fingers for me, close the palate and the fontanels. He did. He closed the fontanels and the palate and gives me fingers. Now I have 3 fingers on each hand. 

When I was nearly 4 years old, I goes to a special school, a few hours from our house and they brought me every day to school with a special taxi. And every day they brought me back home. Doctors discovered, that my hearing was not too good. They did some hearing-tests. I heard beeping sounds and I must say "Yes" when I heard them. Another doctor operates me for ear-tubes. I had many ear-tubes in my both ears and also many earaches. But it was always a party when I could hear again. 

Later, when I was 16, I had a hearing aid since that day I hear well. School was going right. I met friends. Sometimes, when we walked across the streets, little kids looked to me thinking:"What strangely." but I don't make a problem of that. They'll looking? OK. But they didn't bully me ever. When I was 9 years old, I had braces and glasses. Glasses I had since my 6th birthday. The brace was not fine. It was a big cube, which must set my yaws a bit better. I had it for 10 hours per day. Every time I must go back to the hospital with a Craniofacial Centre, in Rotterdam, a 100 kilometres far from our house. There was the same doctor who made fingers and other things. There was a whole team of doctors who leads me. They were all kind. After the cube-brace I had other braces (you can see on the pictures on this page). Then, I was ready for a cranial surgery in Rotterdam. 

That was the 1st August 2001. Vaandrager leads it. They made pictures and then they operate me. When I awoke, I was in the ICU. What's happened? I couldn't see good and my nose felt like a big, hot tomato. Vaandrager came every day. Also when I was back in my normal room. He said I must eat soft things like pudding for 6 months. There were elastics on my braces from upper-jaw to my down-jaw. My hair wasn't shaved (only at the scar of the first cranial surgery) and I remember the first time I looked in the mirror. My teeth were standing good and my nose was beautiful. My eyes were pulled backwards, but in beginning thick. Everyone was surprised for my new face and I was soon better to go home, but REST. Then, weeks later, I went back to school. My friends looked if I was "really Mieke Maartense". 

Months later, I went back to the hospital. Vaandrager said he was ready with me ad my braces may out over a month, he said. "Are you joking?"I asked laughing. My braces I had for years. But it wasn't a joke. Now I'm going to Rotterdam one time in two months. Only for check my braces. My ears were better too. The ear-doctor was proud of the results of it. "I want to see you after 6 months."he said. Say what? I had to go there every month. That was very good news. In the nights, I didn't drool anymore. As first in my life, I didn't "cut thick trees in the wood" as we called the drooling. And my eyes were closed when I sleep. Before surgery, they were still open and hurt in summertime. But now they don't. The doctors had asked me for a next surgery: to split my middle fingers and to make my thumb bigger. But I didn't do that. I'm happy I can do most of the things I like to do like typing, writing and other things. Since a half year ago, I'm a member of a rowing club near here. And it's real great.

With love, Mieke Maartense