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Cheyenne Floyd and Cory Wharton are the parents of daughter Ryder, who was diagnosed with a congenital condition called VLCAD two days after being born.
In a 2018 episode of Teen Mom OG, Floyd opened up about her daughter’s health issues to her cousin. “Ryder was born with a rare genetic disease called VLCAD… She can’t process fatty foods.”
She continued, “When she was first born she had to eat every two hours… She has to take medicine in the morning and in the night. Since it’s genetic, it’s something that she’ll always have.”
What Is VLCAD?
According to Baby’s First Test, VLCAD, or Very Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency, is a condition whereby the body is unable to break down certain fats. The website reports that it is considered a fatty acid oxidation condition as people with this condition are unable to convert some fats they consume into energy that the body needs.
According to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, symptoms of the condition include low blood sugar, lack of energy, and muscle weakness. The resource adds that children affected by the most severe forms of the illness are at risk of liver abnormalities and heart problems.
Floyd & Wharton Started a Non-Profit to Raise Awareness for VLCAD
Last year, Floyd and Warton started a non-profit to raise awareness for VLCAD. Speaking to US Weekly about his daughter’s condition, he shared, “She can’t process fatty foods into energy. When she was a newborn, Cheyenne would have to wake up every two hours and feed Ryder. With the condition, she has no side effects, but we still monitor it. She has to take medicine, she sees a specialist.”
They announced the organization, called Rage Regardless Ry, on Instagram. Cheyenne wrote, “I have talked about Rage Regardless Ry for a while and now am excited to launch the website and IG. I encourage everyone to follow, check out the website, & share with others. We are dedicated to empowering families with metabolic conditions.”
Fans of Ryder should know she is staying safe in quarantine in light of the pandemic sweeping the globe.
On Friday, Wharton wrote on Instagram, “Since we are all basically quarantined for who knows how long, I thought ummm, no better time to start a TikTok [rolling on the floor laughing emoji]. I tried LOL hit me with a follow, I promise they will get better [face with tears of joy emoji.]” In the clip, Cory holds his phone to the mirror wearing a black hat while his girlfriend, Taylor Selfridge, wears a pink robe and plays with Ryder’s pigtails.
Cheyenne has made it clear she’s also keeping Ryder safe because of the virus. Last week, she uploaded a pic and wrote, “keeping my mini close with everything going on.. comment below fun YouTube video ideas we can do at home.”
Floyd assures fans and the show’s viewers that Ryder is happy and healthy today, “Ryder has the most energy in the whole wide world so we keep her extremely occupied. She has dance class and gymnastics class throughout the week. We have to keep her stimulated because she takes everything in, she’s at that age! She’s beautiful and she’s healthy. We adore her.”
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