Rare disorder and low muscle tone cannot dampen teen’s swimming passion
Jessica Quek was born with PTPS deficiency, a rare genetic disorder that affects the production of key brain chemicals.
Jessica Quek, an 18-year-old electronics engineering student from ITE College West, has been competing in swimming meets despite having a rare genetic condition called 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) deficiency, which causes low muscle tone and imbalances in brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine. During the 2025 and 2026 ITE Inter-College Swimming Meets, Jessica won two bronze medals, one for the 50m butterfly sprint and another for the 400m breaststroke.
Her doctor, Mildrid Yeo, noted that her accomplishment is a testament to early intervention, comprehensive medical care, and her personal resilience. PTPS deficiency affects approximately one in a million people worldwide, more common in Asian populations than Caucasians. Early treatment can prevent intellectual disability, developmental delays, seizures, and dystonia, a neurological movement disorder.
Jessica's treatment involves medication to reduce high levels of phenylalanine and replace dopamine and serotonin, costing thousands of dollars a month. Despite her condition and challenges faced during her schooling, Jessica maintains a positive attitude and aims to become an engineer and potentially teach coding in a robotics school.
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