Cooler but still well above normal this week

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      BIG LAKE, Minn. (AP) - Dinnertime at the Gingras household is
filled with the laughter of jokes and conversations about work and
school.

      On a cold, rainy night, Tricia and Stephen Gingras gather their
daughters, Katie, 13, and Gabby, 9, around the dining room table.
Their black Lab, Yooper, hovers underneath, just in case any of
their dinner - salmon burgers, salad and macaroni and cheese -
drops to the floor.

      Amid the commotion, Tricia and Stephen blow on food to cool it
before placing it on Gabby's plate. Something as simple as hot food
is a challenge for Gabby, a bubbly and intelligent little girl who
suffers from the rare condition, congenital insensitivity to pain
with anhidrosis.

      Gabby cannot feel pain, making something as common as hot food
dangerous. Numbers of those living with the disorder are difficult
to find. Probably only a handful of cases such as Gabby exist in
the world, said her pediatric neurologist, Dr. Stephen Smith of
Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul.

      Most people think it would be a blessing not to feel pain,
Tricia and Stephen said. But pain is a gift, they contend.


      Pain is a fundamental defense for the body, said Dr. Sam Elghor,
pain management specialist, Center for Pain Management, Sartell.
People are born with the ability to feel pain, he said.


      "Pain is a protection mechanism," Elghor said. "God gave us
assistance so we can avoid harm. It's definitely a good thing."


      During her 9 years, Gabby has sustained a broken jaw, eye
scratches so severe she is now legally blind and countless broken
and sprained bones.


      Yet she has no concept of how badly her body is injured.


      "I feel pressure," Gabby said. "Cracking my head open feels
the same as when I bang it."


      In addition, Gabby sweats very little. Doctors believe she only
sweats 5-8 percent the amount of a normal person, her parents said.
That makes it difficult to manage fevers. As a baby, they would put
her in a cool bath and give her both children's Tylenol and
Ibuprofen just to manage her body temperature.

      Yet, she and her parents work to live normal, fulfilling lives.
She's a straight-A fourth-grader. She loves to read. Gabby also
adores animals, and wants nothing more than a kitten (but her
mother has allergies).

      Her parents have started the worldwide support group, A Gift of
Pain, for those suffering from no pain. They have regular contact
with 40 families from around the world.


      "We're very happy where we are," Stephen said. "Six years
ago, we couldn't imagine that we are here now."


      Not much is known about Gabby's condition, Smith said. He has
treated Gabby since she was a baby.


      Her parents first noticed something was not normal when Gabby
started teething. She bit into her fingers and tongue.


      For more than a year, the family desperately tried to discover
what was wrong. They visited specialists at a long list of clinics
and hospitals.


      Finally, one physician pointed out her condition in a medical
encyclopedia. It had one line and said not to worry about learning
about the condition because it is so rare, Stephen said.


      Doctors, specialists and Gabby's family learned about the
condition together.


      "You have to," Tricia said. "It's your baby."


      Stephen suggested his daughter wear swim goggles when she was
younger to protect her eyes from additional damage.


      It saved Gabby's eyes, Tricia said.

      Gabby didn't know how to jump properly as a young child, and
would lock her knees. Someone gave her a little trampoline to
practice jumping properly, Tricia said.

      "If you don't know what hurts, how do you know that you need to
bend your knees to absorb the shock?" Stephen asked.

      The Gingrases also told Gabby's story to local and national
media in hopes of finding families also dealing with no pain. They
appeared on "20/20," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury,"
"Oprah" and "Good Morning America."

      The family has become strong advocates for Gabby, they said.
They ask questions and research the condition.

      Smith, the pediatrician, admires the family's dedication and
devotion to Gabby.

      "They have been truly phenomenal," he said. "They've been
there for her. They support her."

      Tricia and Stephen continue to look for ways to help their
daughter, and something interesting happened.

      They recently started Gabby on a gluten- free diet, after one of
her doctors suggested it. Recently, Gabby landed wrong, and told
her mother she didn't feel right.

      They took her to a nurse, and she asked her how bad her leg
hurt.

      Tricia heard her daughter say: "I've never felt pain before,
but I think it's a six."

      What did Gabby feel? Could it be a result of the new diet?

      Her parents don't know, but the idea that she felt something is
encouraging.

      Gabby might have regained some ability to feel or perceive pain
or temperature, Smith said. He said he believes it started about
two years ago.


      "That is a very exciting thing," Smith said. "It gives her
something to go on."

      Regardless of whether Gabby regains some feeling, she will grow
up and lead a great life. Her parents said they will do everything
possible to ensure that.

      They point to a member of their nonprofit group - she's an adult
with two children.

Gallery

Dinnertime at the Gingras household is
filled with the laughter of jokes and conversations about work and
school.

Minnesota girl lives in a world with no pain

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