# Man with Harlequin Icthyosis competes in Triathlon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401 "2004-11-18T02:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/1 "2004-11-18T02:27:15Z")
I didn’t even think it was possible for a Harlequin Fetus to survive more than a few days let alone reach adulthood. [http://www.10news.com/health/3919722/detail.html](http://www.10news.com/health/3919722/detail.html) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/2 "2004-11-18T02:29:27Z")
…Whoa. (Why is it called “Harlequin icthyosis (sp)”?) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/3 "2004-11-18T02:34:01Z")
:eek: Wow. Talk about an inspirational story, and cure for the reader’s self-pity… ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/4 "2004-11-18T02:42:05Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > (Why is it called “Harlequin icthyosis (sp)”?) The scales on the skin look like a harlequin pattern. From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > The term comes from both the baby’s facial expression and the diamond-shaped pattern of the scales, which are caused by severe hyperkeratosis. Seventeenth century entertainers known as jesters, or harlequins, wore costumes with diamond patterns on them, as well as a particular style of face paint. The features of the harlequin fetus resemble this stylized makeup, and their faces are often pulled tight into grim parodies of a clown’s smile. You can Google for pictures by searching on “harlequin fetus” but I’d advise against it. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/5 "2004-11-18T02:48:31Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > You can Google for pictures by searching on “harlequin fetus” but I’d advise against it. me too - it looks VERY frightening ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/6 "2004-11-18T06:40:06Z")
Wow, that is an amazing story. It is a miracle that that boy survived. It’s so easy to take for granted all the things we can do with healthy skin that would be major painful ordeals for someone with a condition like that. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/7 "2004-11-18T15:19:00Z")
C’mon son. You need some challenges in your life to test your mettle. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/8 "2004-11-18T15:26:54Z")
I mentioned this the the thread about Fark being down. I was going to start a thread about it, but I kinda felt weird about it. Just because I’m so tremendoulsy impressed, but in a way that I feel is improper… Kinda like, I’m as excited and impressed as if I saw a photo of a creature I thought was extinct. _That_ makes me feel like an ass. But it’s just that the chances of a harlequin baby surviving are almost non-existant! When I saw the original headline that only vaguely said “skin shedding disease”, my first thought was “Hmm, I wonder if a harlequin baby survived to adulthood?” Then instantly I thought “Impossible! Harlequin babies don’t _live_. Not for very long anyway” So when I saw it really IS an 18-yr-old harlequin not-baby-but-adult, I was really… er… thrilled. (See? That’s why I kinda feel weird.) It is so remarkable! And humbling. I’ve read that in some cases they’ve been able to reach toddlerhood (up to 4 years, I think), but with a skin that so easily allows fluid out and more dangerous infection _in_, the chances of surviving and not succumbing to infection are so remote. And not only is he a live and well, but he’s a triathlete! Again, truly humbling. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/9 "2004-11-18T15:35:33Z")
Wow. Next time im feeling hard done to because of my psoriasis i’ll have to remember this story. psoriasis shmoriasis, time to count the old blessings. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/10 "2004-11-18T15:39:18Z")
Whoa. I’m utterly impressed, seperately, by people who compete in triathalons, and those who manage to survive “fatal” conditions. Combine the two, and…wow. Kudos to him. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/11 "2004-11-18T15:51:59Z")
Kudos to the young man. It’s a blessing they die quickly, however. look [HERE](http://asylumeclectica.com/malady/archives/harlequin.htm) GAH! Damn my curiosity! ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/12 "2004-11-18T16:12:29Z")
Damn you, **Chao** , why did you have to link? I was going to keep myself from googling! I had succeeded in quelling my curiosity! And then… Lord, those poor things. And major kudos to this guy for surviving and living his life. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/13 "2004-11-18T16:15:26Z")
> [@pasunejen](#): > > Damn you, **Chao** , why did you have to link? I was going to keep myself from googling! I had succeeded in quelling my curiosity! > > And then… > > Lord, those poor things. And major kudos to this guy for surviving and living his life. Yeah, same here. I had my mouse hovering over the X so I could close it before too much damage was inflicted, but still… I can only imagine the pain of living with it! It’s positively awesome that this guy can not only live but perform athletically with a heretofore lethal disease. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/14 "2004-11-18T16:19:17Z")
Holy shit…I looked… :eek: ☹ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/15 "2004-11-18T16:55:25Z")
well, you can’t say \*\*ferret herder \*\* and I didn’t warn you… It really is remarkable, though, that he survived at all. Apparently, babies born with this before medical science could intervene with intravenous nutrition died because they couldn’t suckle because of what the disease did to their mouths. Poor little things starved to death ☹ Actually, the pictures of the boy in the article aren’t that bad, if you want to look. It’s not nearly as bad as some of the pictures you’d find if you googled. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/16 "2004-11-18T17:20:23Z")
MWOOHAHAHHAHAH! Ok sorry folks. But hey, the upside; those pics are great for my diet. I was going to gorge myself on pizza for lunch but I :::urk::: settled for a salad. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/17 "2004-11-18T17:22:10Z")
On reading the article one of my first reactions is: damn, he has to do a lot of stuff to keep healthy. I’m too lazy to bother putting lotion on my feet once a day when they get dry, never mind over my whole body seven times a day. Then again, I suppose if it were a matter of life and death… Again, I salute him. And also–his doctor(s). As people with this condition don’t generally live, they must have had to do a lot of leg work to figure out how to keep him okay, even beyond finding the Accutane solution. I wonder if there’ll be any trouble down the line with other medical issues most people deal with in the course of their lives… ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/18 "2004-11-18T17:33:07Z")
From the article: > [@](#): > > Because his skin is constantly shedding, he needs to consume 7,500 calories a day. He tube feeds himself pure protein every night while he sleeps. Wow! ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/19 "2004-11-18T18:17:08Z")
::hugs baby girl & says silent prayer of thanks:: It’s interesting that Accutane would help these babies - that’s one drug you’re absolutely forbidden to go near when you’re pregnant. Apparently it does terrible things to normal fetuses’ skin (and if you think I’m gonna google that, you’re crazy). ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-harlequin-icthyosis-competes-in-triathlon/275401/20 "2004-11-18T19:56:19Z")
Wow. Someone with a serious disability who could be competing in the REAL Olympics.