Mental health hero: Overcoming loss, dealing with depression
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This is part one of a two part series about Steven Shapland, a physically and mentally disabled man who was honored by the Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority last month.
BLUMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI — Steven Shapland is a busy man.
Between working, building houses, volunteering and being a season ticket holder for the Saginaw Spirit, there isn't much free time in his life.
Each chromosome is responsible for hundreds of genes, which account for countless traits and characteristics. Although scientists have not been able to pinpoint the function of every chromosome, Shapland's mother said his trisomy 8 syndrome has manifested in number of ways.
Shapland's right arm, which is a few inches shorter than his left, contains extra bone and does not have full range of motion. He also has difficulty with the dexterity in his fingers and has extra cartilage in his ankles, among other things, Dinnan said.
"He's got a twofold thing, which makes him pretty rare," she said. "From the time he was young, the geneticist, the urologist, they all said they didn't have much to compare him to in the medical journals because he had two problems going on. And their prognosis was always, 'Wait and see, wait and see, wait and see.'"
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