{
  "id": 16248202,
  "title": "Rare disorder and low muscle tone cannot dampen teen’s swimming passion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/rare-disorder-and-low-muscle-tone-cannot-dampen-teens-swimming-passion",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-24T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/rare-disorder-and-low-muscle-tone-cannot-dampen-teens-swimming-passion"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Jessica Quek was born with PTPS deficiency, a rare genetic disorder that affects the production of key brain chemicals.",
  "key_points": [
    "18-year-old Jessica Quek, engineering student, competes in swimming meets",
    "PTPS deficiency causes low muscle tone, serotonin, dopamine imbalances",
    "Jessica wins two bronze medals at 2025 and 2026 ITE Inter-College Meets"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Success in competitive swimming highlights how early medical intervention and consistent treatment can mitigate the severe neurological and developmental challenges associated with rare genetic disorders like PTPS deficiency.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}