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Teen Mom 2 star Leah Messer shared a positive update on her daughter Aliannah and her muscular dystrophy diagnosis following their recent medical appointment. The 29-year-old mom revealed "all great things" from their visit and said:
"[The doctor] sees more of an improvement than he ever has, mind & body. He said what he sees is remarkable because she seems a lot stronger."
She continued to talk about the doctor's opinions on her daughter's strength and said:
"He said what he sees is remarkable because she seems a lot stronger. He gave a lot of credit to her love, hard work, and dedication to reaching horseback riding goals that she sets for herself. Reflex is still the same but strength is better, pulmonary is better, weight and growth chart is better than it has ever been."
She shared an update with pictures from their medical visit, clips from her chat with the doctor about the diagnosis, and Aliannah's horseback riding pictures through her Instagram post.
What is Muscular Dystrophy?
Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness in a person and loss of muscle mass. In this disease, abnormal genes or mutations (mostly inherited) interfere with the production of proteins in the body that are needed to form a healthy muscle.
Many types of muscular dystrophy exist. Some symptoms generally begin in childhood, most often for young boys, and others don't surface until adulthood. The main sign of the disease is progressive muscle weakness.
Specific signs and symptoms begin at different ages and in different muscle groups, depending on the type of disease the person is suffering from.
Different types of muscular dystrophy include Duchenne (most common in boys, girls are mildly affected), Becker (tends to be milder and progress more slowly), Myotonic (primarily affecting facial and neck muscles), Facioscapulohumeral (weakness begins in the face, hip and shoulders), Congenital (affects both girls and boys), and Limb-girdle (hip and shoulder muscles are affected first).
Complications from the disease include trouble walking or using arms, breathing problems, curved spine, heart problems, swallowing issues, among others. While there is no cure for muscular dystrophy, medications and therapy can help manage the symptoms and slow the course of the disease.
MTV series star Leah Messer also thanked the doctors for their practice and constant guidance over the years. The TV personality has also been open about her daughter's condition during past show episodes.
Messer shares Aliannah and her twin sister Aleeah Grace with Corey Simmons, to whom she was married for a year. She also shares daughter Adalynn Faith with her ex-husband Jeremy Calvert, with whom she was married for three years.
