‘Team Mykayla’ supports classmate with brittle bone disease

Mykayla Herrera’s teammates were easy to pick out Wednesday at Sonoma Elementary School in Modesto.

They wore yellow “Team Mykayla” T-shirts and gathered around their 9-year-old classmate to honor her on Wishbone Day.

The young Modesto resident has a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease. People with a severe form may suffer hundreds of fractures during their lives.

The disease affecting up to 50,000 people in the U.S. also may cause curved bones, scoliosis and shortness of stature, according to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation. Wishbone Day is an international awareness day for the disease, which has no cure.

Mykayla was born with 17 broken bones. Most of them healed on their own, but a broken femur required her to wear a cast for six weeks. One of her bones can break with a slight amount of trauma, such as when her power chair hits a bump on the sidewalk, said Erica Herrera, her mother.

Third grader Lucas Richardson said he proudly wore the Team Mykayla shirt to support his schoolmate. His mother was formerly a yard-duty aide at the school and was a friend of Mykayla’s aunt, he said.

“I hope doctors find a cure for the disease,” Richardson said. “That is why I am wearing the T-shirt.”

Herrera had 25 shirts sent to Doctors Medical Center and received a picture of hospital employees clad in yellow.

Mom said her daughter has attended Sonoma Elementary since entering the preschool program at 14 months. She started walking with the assistance of a gait trainer four years ago.

The school on East Orangeburg Avenue is known for providing barrier-free access to education and programs for physically challenged students.

Mykayla gets around the campus in a stroller wheelchair or power chair. She enjoys being outside for recess during the warmer months but stays indoors on cold windy days to keep from getting bronchitis and pneumonia.

“She loves school,” Herrera said. “Her amigos stay inside with her during recess to play.”

When she is not at school, Mykayla enjoys watching her cousins’ baseball games. She had a Make-A-Wish outing to see the Dallas Cowboys three years ago and attended an Oakland Athletics game last year, her mother said.

Herrera said she puts floaties on her daughter for her favorite activity – swimming. Wishbone Day was a thrill for the girl and one of the rewarding experiences of parenting a special needs child, she said.

“I really enjoy it,” Herrera said. “I love it in that the kids here are so loving to her.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2015 at 10:01 AM with the headline "‘Team Mykayla’ supports classmate with brittle bone disease."