Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Zuehlke
----Source: Tribune Record Gleaner (Loyal, Clark Co., WI) 2/28/1974
Zuehlke, Freddy (Phenylketonuria - 1974)
Mingling with Mary (By Mary Woods)
For every little boy, an ice cream cone, a chocolate candy bar, or a peanut butter-jelly sandwich is a true delight. But for Freddy Zuehlke, the biggest delight he ever gets is the cone minus the ice cream, the peanut butter-jelly sandwich minus the peanut butter, and chocolate candy bars he can only look at and play with the wrapper. For Freddy Zuehlke, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Zuehlke Jr. of Loyal, has a hereditary disease that does not allow him to eat much protein.
Referred to as PKU, phenylketonuria, was discovered in Freddy at the age of five days, when the doctors notified the Zuehlkes that their son had PKU. The discovery of the disease was made by test that had been given to Freddy when he was born. At birth, Freddy weighed eight pounds and six ounces. Explaining the disease, Mrs. Zuehlke stated, “It’s a disease where the body is missing a liver enzyme which breaks down the protein or amino acid.”
Returning to the hospital, the doctors put Freddy on a balanced diet in order to limit the protein exchanges in his body. He was limited to 19 exchanges per day. An exchange is 15 milligrams of protein, and, according to Mrs. Zuehlke, “he was given the proper amount of protein that was needed to grow on, and not enough to destroy his brain cells.”
Further explaining the disease, Mrs. Zuehlke stated, “When the amino acid does not break down, the new brain cells are destroyed, and the brain is the only organ that does not regenerate new brain cells in anyone.” According to her, the discovery of PKU was made in Norway in 1934, but it wasn’t until 20 years later that a way of treating it was developed. Many people who were born with the disease long ago were mentally retarded as they grew, but today this seldom happens if the treating and discovery of PKU is made at birth.
In Wisconsin along there are approximately 130 cases of PKU with seven babies being born with the disease in 1973. The cause of PKU is both parents having one deformed gene and one healthy gene. In this case, both Mr. and Mrs. Zuehlke are carriers of PKU, which was discovered after the doctors made the discovery in their son. The Zuehlkes have a daughter Traci, who has two chances in four of being a carrier, which will be tested for at a later time.
For Freddy, his diet is made up of fruit, vegetables, and baked wheat starch products. He is also allowed sugar and honey and sweets that do not contain such high protein products as butter, milk, or eggs. He is also limited to the quantity of his food, depending on the exchanges that are involved. Mrs. Zuehlke stated, “We have to be aware of the exchanges that are involved, and occasionally he can sacrifice certain exchanges for ‘special treats.’”
“The first year was the hardest in taking care of Freddy,” explained Mrs. Zuehlke, “but now it is something that we understand and can handle without any problem. When he gets a cold or the flu, his blood level goes up, which is bad, but that is also something we have learned to control and be aware of. Perhaps the greatest scare we have ever had was when he was a little over a year old he ate a peanut butter sandwich, but after three days of cutting down his food, we got his diet back to where it should be.”
The Zuehlkes have and continue to attend special classes and seminars on PKU. While at the gathering, they get the chance to speak with other parents who have the same problem with their child. Mrs. Zuehlke also stated that a monthly newsletter is received from the Child Development Center in Madison and contains certain recipes that may be used. “These things come in handy, and so useful,” stated Mrs. Zuehlke.
For Freddy Zuehlke, at the age of almost four, the road ahead doesn’t seem to be a bad one in many respects. With medical advancement, he will continue to grow and develop as all the other boys that were born in 1970 or any other year. With testing taking place now and then, doctors can tell of his development and will someday tell Freddy that he can eat the whole cone, the whole sandwich, and that candy bar that the other kids can eat, he can eat, too.
For Freddy, the biggest goal that he has yet to achieve is “to catch a fish and EAT the whole thing!”
