Meet Emri

Meet Emri

​

Hello! My name is Emri Van Andel. I am 14 years old, but my doctors told my parents when I was born that I probably wouldn’t live past 2! I am homeschooled by my mom and have 5 younger siblings. Abe is 12, Jaemin is 11, Eiley is 5, Boaz is 3 and Ari is 9 months!

​

My favorite things to do include spending time with my family, being outside, raising animals, and doing art projects.

I was diagnosed with neonatal/infantile marfan syndrome when I was born. I received a g-tube when I was 2, as well as my first set of growing rods to hold up my spine. I have since had many spine surgeries including surgeries to lengthen my growing rods, receive magnetic rods, and replace rods that I outgrew. I will be going through my final spinal fusion in the next year! I have also faced a mechanical pleurodesis procedure due to my left lung collapsing repeatedly after one of my rod surgeries.

I receive atenolol and irbesartan through my g-tube every day as well as very healthy feeds that my dad makes me! My dad makes my feeds with many healthy and fattening foods, as I am only currently 60 lbs. I get healthier food than the rest of my family :) .

​

I have sleep apnea, so I sleep with oxygen at night. My apnea has gotten better as I have grown though!

​

God allowed me to have Marfan syndrome. Since before he created the earth, he knew that I would be born different. Even if I don’t understand why, I still need to trust that God will work it all out for good….because He will! Any wisdom I have comes from God and I strive to trust Him with my life and pray to Him often, and I hope that those reading this will too!

​

There are definitely some good things about having infantile marfan syndrome! Having a g-tube makes it easy to take gross medicine and eat healthy foods! Also, I think God can use my syndrome to help me learn to trust Him and pray to Him more. The things that make having marfan syndrome difficult is not having the ability to run, or even walk as easy as others. I have some surgeries coming up on my legs that are supposed to help my legs be stronger. So I really hope that helps improve my ability to walk. I would really appreciate the prayers of fellow Christians for my legs to improve!

God has truly blessed me with so many wonderful things; a wonderful family, great friends, a cozy home, the ability to be homeschooled, an imaginative, smart mind and a wonderful church! He has also blessed me with the ability to be brave and trust Him through the many struggles I’ve faced.

Thank you for reading about my life!
 

~Emri~

​

***​

​

Dated: 17 February 2025​​

​

<Read Next Story of Love>