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7News wants to send out condolences to the family of Khristen Abshire, a young lady we first introduced you to in a Healthcast in 2008.
Abshire is originally from Lake Charles and moved with her family to Denham Springs last summer. She shared her story about life with a rare disorder called "mitochondrial disease." She passed away in her sleep on Saturday at her family's home at the age of 15.
Abshire was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease when she was eight years old. It is a disease that results from failures of the mitochondria, those are the specialized compartments in every cell of the body, except red blood cells. It causes low muscle tone, seizures and eventually becoming wheelchair bound.
We spoke to Abshire when she was undergoing intensive physical therapy and caught up with her again to see how how dogs were helping in her mobility. In a KPLC interview, she said she hoped the message viewers could learn from her story is to treat others with dignity and respect, even if they have disabilities.
Abshire's funeral will be Thursday at 3 p.m. at Resthaven Funeral Home in Baton Rouge.
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