BY MORGAN MIZELL

NATCHEZ — Last June, Anna Perrin began complaining of heart pain.

Any activity increasing her heart rate seemed to increase these complaints. She told her parents she was short of breath and felt weak and dizzy.

After a local doctor attributed the symptoms to her pre-existing asthma condition, her medicines were adjusted and she was monitored. The symptoms continued, and new symptoms surfaced including heart palpitations, chest pain, extreme headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain and a feeling of constant nausea. Walking to classes left her dizzy and at times caused her to pass out.

Eventually, the 16 year-old Adams County Christian School student diagnosed with POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a rare condition with less than 200,000 cases per year.

Anna’s mother, Angela Perrin, had never heard of the disease until doctors diagnosed her daughter, even though she is respiratory therapist at Franklin County Hospital.

“I had never heard of it before,” Perrin said. “When her doctor said he wanted to test her for it, I called my boss and started asking him questions about it.”

Perrin said as a mother, she asked herself every day why her daughter had to experience the disease, and as a parent, if she missed something that caused it.

“I wondered if perhaps her immunizations may have been a cause as it seems to be part of the discussion for so many other diagnoses,” Perrin said. “As a professional, there are so many disorders and diseases that I don’t directly know about and have not seen at our hospital.”

Much of Anna’s life remains the same, but she has cut out all extra activities except for serving as a trainer for the ACCS football team.

“Anna has continued school with much support of the ACCS family and her friends,” Perrin said. “It has been difficult as she misses several days for doctor appointments and sick days, and we struggle to keep up with her class work assignments and tests, but it is hard for her sometimes.”

Depending on the level of activity she has attempted in a day, she may be more tired than other days. If she has a “spell,” it may take her as much as four days to recover.

“When she has a bad spell, she is home-bound, in the bed, drinking as much fluid as possible and taking her normal medications,” Perrin said. “She may also have new medications the doctor prescribes to help her recover.”

While Anna’s illness has been an eye-opening experience, the family does not consider it a burden, Perrin said.

“It is a part of our life now, and hers,” she said. “We are dealing with it.”

The family has made changes in their lifestyle to help cover the expenses for out-of-town doctors and treatments that are not covered under insurance. They opted for an older vehicle, stopped eating out at restaurants and started fundraising efforts including bake sales, plate dinner sales, raffles and a GoFundMe account.

Future fundraisers include a garage sale Nov. 18 and 19 and a softball tournament that has no official date as of now.

“Our church family at Cliff Temple Baptist Church has prayed for Anna,” Perrin said. “Several church members have stopped in to check on her and call us to see how she is and if there is anything she needs.”

Perrin said Anna’s health issues have been a test of their faith.

“It seems when something bad happens, everyone asks why,” Perrin said. “It is hard not to ask this, especially when your 16-year-old daughter asks you what is wrong with her and why. Without God in our lives, I could not have answered her. I know God has his arms around Anna and He is keeping her safe. And we can’t let this illness discourage or sway our faith.”

Anna’s treatments are currently in Jackson with a pediatric cardiologist. In two weeks, she will go for POTS treatment in Dallas.

She has been told she can outgrow POTS in three to five years, but another condition, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), she is suffering from will be a condition she will live with for the rest of her life. MCAS is an immunological condition in which mast cells inappropriately and excessively release chemical mediators, resulting in a range of chronic symptoms, sometimes including anaphylaxis or near-anaphylaxis attacks.

The Perrins have seen an out-pouring of support from the community. Perrin said when she first posted her daughter’s condition on the GoFundMe page, she set a $9,000 goal never expecting to reach it.

“I cried and doubted we would ever get donations,” Perrin said. “Today, we are $1,900 short of raising that goal.”

The Perrins shore one another up in faith constantly, Perrin said.

“Our family and friends remind me that God’s got this,” Perrin said. “He is in control, not me, or my husband Kevin or my son, Austin.”

Perrin said she believes her daughter will one day have a very strong testimony to share behind this experience. Her hope is that Anna will continue to pray and grow her relationship with God. Currently, she is closely monitored by all in her family and she wears a FitBit to monitor her heart rate and her blood pressure is checked twice daily.

Other than that, the Perrin house is a normal household with two teenagers. She said her children still argue like most brothers and sisters do, but her son is genuinely concerned for his sister.

“He worries about her as much as her father and I do,” Perrin said. “He wants to know what the doctors are saying and what the plan is. He even offered his savings to help pay for her treatments and medicine.”

Perrin’s advice to other parents is to listen to your children.

“Talk to them,” Perrin said. “Ask them questions about how they are feeling, medically. Anna’s first symptom was chest pain, but someone else could be breathing, joint pain, nausea, headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting. All of these things are warning signs something is wrong.”