Read about Jordan Stiteler, a local mom who says the Healthy Nevada Project provided insights into her family’s genetic makeup — and the likely cause of her dad and great grandfather’s deaths. Now she is changing her life due to her new diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia, which will allow her to take steps toward preventing the same fate.
Jordan Stiteler’s dad died suddenly of a stroke nearly ten years ago — at only 45 years old. His grandfather died at age 40.
Now through the Healthy Nevada Project’s no-cost genetic testing, she is closer to understanding why that may have happened. And she can take proactive steps to prevent the unhealthy symptoms that often lead to a stroke and heart problems.
After getting her Geno 2.0 by National Geographic ancestry report, Stiteler got a call from Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health Cardiologist and Renown IHI Director of Research, Dr. Christopher Rowan.
“They told me that I have FH, which is familial hypercholesterolemia,” she said. “I have genetically very high cholesterol because I have a non-functioning gene that doesn’t get rid of my cholesterol like a normal body would.”
Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Simple Life Changes
Dr. Rowan told Stiteler it is curable with medication and a change in lifestyle. Stiteler has embraced healthy lifestyle changes by exercising more and eating healthier.
“It is so important. Being a mom, I think you have so much more to live for. Having this information has changed my life.”
Stiteler feels confident FH affected her Dad.
“It is helping my family realize that we need to get tested,” she said. “There were big milestones that my Dad missed. He didn’t get to see either of us get married or have our children. That was huge.”
She has become passionate about sharing the need to join the Healthy Nevada Project as her way of helping to prevent other families from possibly going through what she and her family did with the early loss of her Dad.
In addition to FH results, the Healthy Nevada Project is returning clinical results on BRCA 1/2 (hereditary breast and ovarian cancer) and Lynch syndrome (colorectal and endometrial cancer) to consenting study participants. To sign up for the Healthy Nevada Project, go to HealthyNV.org.
Join the Healthy Nevada Project
Recruitment for phase two is still open. In addition to opting in to receive clinical results, participants receive National Geographic’s Geno 2.0 ancestry app at no cost. They also have the chance to pick an additional app for health and wellness after completing a follow-up survey.
From the Brink of Loss to a New Beginning: The Sloan Family’s ECMO Journey
It was the Fourth of July 2024, but for the Sloan family, there were no fireworks or festivities. Instead, Megan Sloan stood by her husband Darrin’s bedside in the intensive care unit at Renown Regional Medical Center, watching machines take over while monitoring his fragile condition. Just a week earlier, Darrin, a devoted father, husband and retired sergeant with the Carson City Sherif’s Office, had been full of energy. Now, he was fighting for his life.
For 16-year-old Madeleine, a patient at Renown Children’s Hospital, volleyball was more than a game; it was her passion. But during her first-year at Reno High School, she noticed a deep ache in her back. The pain worsened with each game, and soon, what once brought joy became unbearable.
“The pain was overwhelming. I was crying after every game because my back hurt so bad,” Madeleine said. “It felt like the upper half of my back was falling or compressing on the lower half. I remember thinking, I can’t do this anymore.”
Her pediatrician referred her to Dr. Michael Elliott, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Renown Children’s Hospital who specializes in scoliosis and spinal deformities. Thanks to community generosity, families in northern Nevada have access to pediatric specialists like Dr. Elliott, without having to travel far from home.
Madeleine had a dangerous 50-degree curve in her spine. Dr. Elliott explained that surgery was urgent and offered her best path forward. “It felt like my whole world flipped upside down,” Madeleine recalls.
Every 8 minutes, someone is added to the national kidney transplant list – in Nevada, 575 people are waiting for their new lease on life. On average, transplant hopefuls are waiting for three to five years before they are matched with a new kidney.
