At a young age, Abbey Phillipson was a dedicated junior gymnast. She was a stubborn athlete who pushed through every flip and trick. Nothing stood in the way of her and her goals. Every twisted ankle and swollen wrist seemed like just a speed bump in her road to excellence.

While her teammates recovered quickly from small mishaps, though, Phillipson was benched by the same occurrences. With each sprain came increasing concern from her friends and family. And before she knew it, she was at the doctor for a flurry of dislocated joints and plentiful bruising.

By the end of elementary school, Phillipson had simply become too fragile to keep up. The young athlete had been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that specifically affects the body’s connective tissue. Wha

See Full Page