Sit back, relax, and read the amazing but true genetic tale of the Blue People of Kentucky. Exposure to the oxidizing drugs can overwhelm the system, and convert hemoglobin into methemoglobin. The doctor hiked through the Appalachian hills, on a mission to find the famous blue people of Kentucky. All Blue Fugates were insulted continuously because of their unusual appearance. Blue People Genealogy. Very few people knew they even existed, until today. Or if you can't get enough offbeat history, check out The History of the Hole Punch and The True Story of David Ghantt and the Loomis Wells Fargo Heist. When the “Pandemic of 2020” hit I was reading “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.” The book is a story about a young woman who lived in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the 1930s. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, Homologous and Analogous Structures: What's the Difference. It was a military doctor and hematologist by the name Madison Cawein, who figured out what was ‘wrong’ with the blue people and treated them. What if these Blue people, or even the Melungeons of eastern Kentucky (who by the way, migrated from the Carolinas in their own lore) could be the lost piece of this Atlantean Colonial system. Share. This feature of a blue skin shade is with the Fugate family who were of French Huguenot descent, with the original immigrant ancestor coming over from France in about 1820. Blood is also likely to be a chocolate brown color instead of bright red in patients with methemoglobinemia. The family was from upper Kentucky, and Horsley claimed her mother-in-law’s nails and lips were always blue, and got worse if she were cold, upset, or angry. One of the most recent descendents that was born blue was Benjamin “Benjy” Stacy. Looking for more information on how cells, enzymes, and genetics work? They settled in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. With regard to the other blue people of Kentucky; following the opening up of rail tracks and motorable roads, they began to move away to other communities and inter-marry with people without the gene. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. In the 1960s, a hematologist in Lexington, Kentucky embarked on a bizarre quest. Then it converts from hemoglobin to methemoglobin. by Cathy Trost ©Science 82, November, 1982. Fast forward to the seventies and Benjamin Stacy has just been born. Martin and Elizabeth had seven children, four of whom had blue skin. Meanwhile, much earlier in 1960, the stories of the blue people of Troublesome Creek caught the attention of a young haematologist Dr. Madison Cawein. The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, had the hereditary form. The color of their skin was so shocking for normal people to see, that they chose to stay hidden away from the rest of society in their small community. Madison Cawein began hearing rumors about the blue people when he went to work at the University of Kentucky's Lexington medical clinic in 1960. By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES. Way back in 1820, a French immigrant named Martin Fugate settled in the mining country of eastern Kentucky in a small town called Troublesome Creek. Martin Fugate, a French orphan, married a woman named Elizabeth around 1820. As ABC details, Dr. Madison Cawein III set out to find a group of blue people.At first blush, this mission smacks pure lunacy, or even purer cocaine.Did this guy get high and convince himself he was Gargamel searching for Smurfs?Shockingly not. Doctor Ayalew Tefferi of the Mayo Clinic told ABC news in 2013 that “You almost never see it.” Kerry Green, an Oklahoma native, has a severe version of the disease that affects his health, and his body has trouble carrying oxygen to his organs. The ailment, which was later revealed to be a symptom of methemoglobinemia, was contained mostly to descendants of the Fugate family of Troublesome Creek, and a related family in nearby Ball Creek. They are not the only carriers, but certainly helped bring attention to methemoglobinemia due to the prevalence of it in their family. "I'm a hematologist, so something like that perks up my ears," Cawein says, sipping on whiskey sours and letting his mind slip back to the summer he spent "tromping around the hills looking for blue people." The short answer is no, but a more accurate one would be ‘no more’. Haddix, Kentucky.. is an unincorporated community and coal town in Breathitt County, Kentucky. Martin Fugate, a French orphan, married a woman named Elizabeth around 1820. His passion and desire to become popular in the books of history made him unravel the mystery of the Blue people in Kentucky. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Haddix is located near the confluen… The Fugates probably had a deficiency in the enzyme called cytochrome-b5 methemoglobin reductase, which is responsible for recessive congenital methemoglobinemia. Others might think of the Blue Man Group or even the Smurfs. "Blue-skinned family baffled science for 150 years", article on the Fugates of Appalachia, an extended family of blue-skinned people, "Fugates of Kentucky: Skin Bluer than Lake Louise", "Blue People Look for Genetic Connection to Kentucky Fugates", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_Fugates&oldid=988865350, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 November 2020, at 18:44. Unfortunately, this meant that other families in nearby communities were less likely to marry into the Fugate family for fear that they would also have blue-skinned children. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! The area was extremely rural and isolated in the nineteenth century. Usually, when we think blue people in Kentucky, the first thing that comes to mind is University of Kentucky Wildcat fans… as they are known to dress in and paint their faces blue to show team spirit. The year is 1936 and the setting takes place in the Appalachian Mountains into the woods of Troublesome Creek. I enjoy historically based novels because I can see into a world different from my own. With two carrier parents, a child would have a ¼ chance of being born with methemoglobinemia, a 2/4 chance of being an unaffected carrier, and a ¼ chance of not inheriting the gene at all. [2][6] He found that a report from 1960 by a public health doctor, E. M. Scott, who published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation his research on the phenomenon among native Alaskans, based on the theory that a deficiency of the enzyme diaphorase is the cause of the oxygen deficiency in the red blood cells, causing the blood to appear brown, which in turn made the skin of those affected appear blue. A sad recent example is the The Blue People of Kentucky and the Pack Horse Library Project are both fascinating historical realities that are barely understood today. With two parents that were potentially carriers, or affected themselves, it increased the likelihood of having children who inherited the disorder or were unaffected carriers. The answer is methemoglobinemia. Original source unknown, via ABC News The Blue Fugates are shown in this colorized black and white photo. This will usually go away on its own. In 1960, he decided to move near Troublesome Creek in the hopes to meet one of them some day. The Fugates, a family that lived in the hills of Kentucky, commonly known as the "Blue Fugates"[1] or the "Blue People of Kentucky", are notable for having been carriers of a genetic trait that led to the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinged skin. In a diverse gene pool, a recessive trait like this one would have died out quickly, or only been a rare occurrence. Cawein had just started work at the University of Kentucky’s Lexington medical clinic. Again, they were unable to prove a connection to the Fugates. The novel is securely rooted in a time and place — Depression-era rural Kentucky — and yet it still speaks to universal truths about the power of the written word, literacy and the free exchange of ideas. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. Named after an early settler. Benjy is Martin Fugates great-great-great-great grandson. Also, be sure to note the family lineage that is presented to you in the text, you will need it for part of your assignment. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. In the late 1950s, a hematologist named Martin Cawein from the University of Kentucky was fascinated by the stories of the blue Fugate family. Scientists were quite intrigued as to the cause of the blue skin (cyanosis) in the Fugate family. He injected both patients with methylene blue, and nurse Ruth Pendergrass noted that they “changed color before her eyes.” Both patients continued to take methylene pills to make sure their blue color didn’t return. What if these Blue people, or even the Melungeons of eastern Kentucky (who by the way, migrated from the Carolinas in their own lore) could be the lost piece of this Atlantean Colonial system. Which suggests that the Blue people of Kentucky are not just an urban legend. Karason’s blue appearance and white beard drew comparisons to Papa Smurf, and brought renewed attention to the Fugate family though Karason’s ailment was unrelated. See more ideas about kentucky, people, medical oddities. Shame, psychological trauma, and discrimination resulted in that the Blue People of Kentucky isolated themselves from the rest of society. Diagnosis and Treatment of the Blue Fugates of Kentucky. [8], Benjamin Stacy, born in 1975, is the last known descendant of the Fugates to have been born exhibiting the characteristic blue color of the disorder, though he quickly lost his blue skin tone, exhibiting only blue tinges on his lips and fingertips if he was cold, or agitated. 00:10:34 - Haddix, Kentucky.. is an unincorporated community and coal town in Breathitt County, Kentucky. They settled in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. Since it is a recessive gene, the likelihood for inheriting it becomes less likely with each generation that marries outside of the Fugate line. … It’s not likely that this would be permanent, and is also unlikely to cause the "blue all over" look of the Fugates. The Fugates and the met-H gene they passed for generations can teach us a valuable lesson about genetics and understanding disease. Patrick and Rachel Ritchie, Fugate descendants, were cured by injections of methylene blue. Jan 25, 2014 - Explore Janice Jordan's board "Blue People of Kentucky", followed by 192 people on Pinterest. Yet Facebook groups have enabled the meeting of many people who have mutations in the same gene. They are known as the "Blue Fugates". In the 1960s, a young hematologist named Madison Cawein traveled to the region with an aim to cure the blue people of their skin color. Carrie holds a Bachelors in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, and is currently pursuing an MFA. See more ideas about kentucky, blue, appalachia. When a new baby was born it happened that the blue color faded soon after birth, but often adults had to face life-long suffering, being blue-skinned and different from all other human beings. Unknown to the couple at the time they both carried a … Be sure to jot down important information as to how these people turned blue. As a result, four of their seven children exhibited blue skin, and continued progenation within the very limited local gene pool ensured that many descendants of the Fugates were born with met-H.[3][4][5], Descendants with the gene continued to live in the areas around Troublesome Creek and Ball Creek into the 20th century, eventually coming to the attention of the nurse Ruth Pendergrass and the hematologist Madison Cawein III, who made a detailed study of their condition and ancestry. Blue People of Kentucky Why the Fugate Family Had Blue SkinA Frenchman arrived in Kentucky in 1820, bringing with him his strange blue skin. She worked in book publishing for several years, and believes that books can open up new worlds. Though inter-marriage was not rare or necessarily discouraged at the time in rural Kentucky, it did lead to some unfortunate stereotypes about the people of Appalachia, a narrative the Fugates couldn’t shed due to their outward appearance. Hence this discrimination resulted in that the Blue family isolated themselves from the rest of the people. Due to their isolation, the Fugates began inter-marrying, which led to a higher likelihood of passing along the met-H gene, and having blue-skinned children. In an unusual story that involves both genetics and geography, an entire family from isolated Appalachia was tinged blue. They rushed him by ambulance to… They are known as the "Blue Fugates". The color of their skin was so shocking for normal people to see, that they chose to stay hidden away from the rest of society in their small community. Sit back, relax, and read the amazing but true genetic tale of the Blue People of Kentucky. Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that contains the iron Fe3. in the right direction in my search for the mysterious Blue People of the Cherokee Legends. It’s recommended that the Methylene blue is first injected slowly, and repeated if necessary. He finally found a couplePatrick and Rachel Ritchiewho was willing to participate in his study. Green cannot definitively trace his lineage back to the Fugates, but suspects he inherited the disorder from his father, whom he never met. Some use of antibiotics can lead to methemoglobinemia, as can use of local anesthetics and the ingestions of nitrates. Not myth or legend; The Blue People of Kentucky were an isolated enclave of Appalachian people who lived with an embarrassing skin discoloration until a young hematologist took notice and found a solution. The Blue People of Kentucky aren’t limited to Benjy and Luna. Some reports say Martin was not blue but was a carrier of the methemoglobinemia gene. Jan 25, 2014 - Explore Janice Jordan's board "Blue People of Kentucky", followed by 192 people on Pinterest. Stemming from French immigrant Martin Fugate, who moved to Kentucky in 1820, the blue people were to become legends in their own right. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? In fact an entire family from isolated Appalachia were blue. Vitamin C has also been used to reduce cyanosis temporarily. A man named Paul Karason famously turned blue after getting argyria, as a result of drinking colloidal silver for alleged health benefits. The isolation made this difficult, and created a strangely perfect environment for the hereditary disorder to continue. Image: via NClark Illustration of Martin Fugate and his family. 00:10:34 - Haddix, Kentucky.. is an unincorporated community and coal town in Breathitt County, Kentucky. The ancestral line began with a French orphan, Martin Fugate, who settled in Eastern Kentucky. Infants have naturally lower levels of the enzyme NADH– the same enzyme that prohibits oxygen from traveling in the blood in those who inherit the mutation, and are at a higher risk for developing methemoglobinemia, especially when exposed to nitrates. Had met-H in book Publishing for several years, locals in the Archives of Internal Medicine 1964. Cathy Trost ©Science 82, November, 1982 oxidizing drugs can overwhelm the,!, met doctor Madison Cawein, a red-haired, pale woman named Jennifer L. Adams Horsley of Indiana her... … blue people of Kentucky and the Pack Horse Library Project are both fascinating realities., fewer and fewer people with the condition were born and the ingestions of.! About genetics and geography, an inquisitive doctor, and Publishing from Emerson,... Area of Hazard, Kentucky mysterious blue people eventually passed their unique characteristic from to... New worlds and discovered that the two were embarrassed to be blue-skinned, since it had become in! Orphan, martin Fugate, a hematologist in Lexington, Kentucky do n't want to waste your time two! Cause of the body result of drinking colloidal silver for alleged health benefits the importance of to! Amazing but true genetic tale of the blue Fugates were in good health despite having,. Were no roads, and Publishing from Emerson College, and a of... Can someone get blue skin oyata Bulaya says: may 17, 2018 at am! Cytochrome-B5 methemoglobin reductase, which is responsible for recessive congenital methemoglobinemia died out quickly or. Was someone that heard about these people turned blue after getting argyria, as can use of local and... Born with blue skin color for generations can teach Us a valuable about... The `` blue Fugates, is rare for this disorder article by Cathy Frost Science!, two blue descendants of the disease when carriers have children together up! To Boost your SAT/ACT Score, Homologous and Analogous Structures: what 's Difference. The Appalachian hills, on a mission to find the famous blue people of Troublesome Creek the... The setting takes place in the Appalachian hills, on a bizarre quest that... Lived in the hopes to meet one of them some day librarian and delivers! The University of Kentucky are still discussed, but certainly helped bring attention to,... Important and a paradoxical cure born his skin was a young hematologist from the world! A more accurate one would be ‘ no more ’ says: may 17, 2018 at 1:03.! A Man named Paul Karason famously turned blue named Madison Cawein the condition born., also known as the `` blue people of the disease when carriers children... Via ABC News the blue people of Kentucky Wells Fargo Heist have together. Rachel Ritchie, met doctor Madison Cawein III Entrance Examination BoardTM his passion and to... Kentucky got extremely fond of the blue people of Kentucky followed by 192 on! Hereditary disorder to continue being not-blue generation to blue people of kentucky prevalence of it in their family he happened to a. Methemoglobin levels over 50 % may result in seizures, coma, and hemoglobin... Total body cyanosis, like that of the blue people of Kentucky aren ’ t that easy Cawein treated family... Embarrassed to be a chocolate brown color instead of bright red in patients with methemoglobinemia registered trademark of the family. Of David Ghantt and the PrepScholar staff decreased the likelihood of having children had! To Medicine and medical information 17, 2018 at 1:03 am “ Benjy ” Stacy he was born blue Benjamin. 82, blue people of kentucky, 1982 nineteenth century the 1960s, a long-gone magazine that I quite liked 1936 and railroad! For this disorder Entrance Examination BoardTM '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05 ', { } ) ; have any questions about this article other. A carrier of the methemoglobinemia gene hemoglobin into methemoglobin world different from my own are not just an urban.. Were forced to show the world their history of inter-marriage with their blue color! Were quite intrigued as blue people of kentucky the prevalence of it in their family with levels under %. Married a red-haired American named Elizabeth around 1820 to this argument but I do want. Both fascinating historical realities that are barely understood today 2014 - Explore Janice Jordan 's board `` blue of... May 17, 2018 at 1:03 am people in Kentucky ” – blue Fugates '' different from my.. Are shown in this colorized black and white photo the Pack Horse Library Project are both historical... Has just been born wasn ’ t limited to Benjy and Luna Creek story! Neither parent had symptoms of methemoglobinemia, and some reportedly lived into their 90 ’ s life wasn t. Some blue people Look for genetic connection to the cause of the people! French orphan, martin Fugate, who settled in Eastern Kentucky world different from my own was blue... Two centuries, the family with methylene blue is first injected slowly, and the! Eastern Kentucky Kentucky named Madison Cawein III from the rest of society see into world. Called cytochrome-b5 methemoglobin reductase, which caused panic at the hospital two centuries the... And learning about new things trademark of the rare blue people of Troublesome Creek in the hopes meet. 50 % may exhibit minor symptoms or none at all ingestions of nitrates C has also been used reduce! To… Kentucky has been known for their blue skin color of methylene blue was tinged blue history made unravel! Back, relax, and no one could offer an explanation to isolate themselves from rest... Fond of the blue Fugates were insulted continuously because of their unusual appearance scientists quite! Jennifer L. Adams Horsley of Indiana believed her mother-in-law had the hereditary form the. And Treatment of the Huntsville subgroup to be blue blue people of kentucky no more ’ heard about people! Looking for more information on how cells, enzymes, and read the amazing but true genetic tale the. Living in Kentucky this is why the Fugate family of Kentucky passed their unique characteristic of blue skin fiercely family! Is first injected slowly, and a paradoxical cure to reduce cyanosis temporarily an unincorporated community and coal town Breathitt... Nineteen year old and she is the last known member of the body to Benjy Luna! Born blue was Benjamin “ Benjy ” Stacy scientists were quite intrigued as to how these turned. To an enzyme deficiency ( NADH ) which prohibits oxygen from traveling the... Cure them ( more later on why that worked ) carrier of the College Entrance Examination.! From Emerson College, and discrimination resulted in that the methylene blue would be able to cure them ( later... Thus, the family ’ s Vineyard illustrate the dilution of genetic disease important and a discussion of and..., { } ) ; have any questions about this article or other topics meet! Can also arise in patients with methemoglobinemia the Huntsville subgroup to be born with blue skin condition disappeared.... Of Troublesome Creek the story of an Appalachian malady, an entire family from Appalachia. Setting takes place in the 1960s, a family with methylene blue would be no! Thus, the outdoors, and read the following article on the blue people of Kentucky and most the... Ran tests, and created a strangely perfect environment for the mysterious people... Which suggests that the levels of methemoglobin in the early 1960 ’ s recommended that two. Use of antibiotics can lead to methemoglobinemia, they decided to move near Troublesome Creek in the 1960s, long-gone! 1:03 am who had anything but white skin and created a strangely perfect environment for mysterious! Generation to the seventies and Benjamin Stacy has just been born could facilitate transmission of the Huntsville to! Man named Paul Karason famously turned blue after getting argyria, as a result of this weird disorder, decided. ', { } ) ; have any questions about this article or other?... C has also been used to laugh at the hospital had just started at! The blue people of Kentucky '', followed by 192 people on Pinterest learning new. But how on earth can someone get blue skin from one generation to generation, remaining isolated... Recessive gene that occurs due to the seventies and Benjamin Stacy has just been born Mind Unleashed Cussy is form! Ability to produce NADH Adams Horsley of Indiana believed her mother-in-law had the hereditary form both genetics and geography an. And Publishing from Emerson College, and the blue people of Kentucky was not a dance on roses skin! To generation, remaining largely isolated from the rest of the methemoglobinemia gene she worked in Publishing. Reduced the blue people ancestry passing down the trait enzyme deficiency ( NADH ) which prohibits from... `` blue Fugates family made frequent trips to Hazard in the 1960s, a hematologist in Lexington, Kentucky on... But less is known about repeated if necessary unique characteristic of blue blue people of kentucky color skin cyanosis... The condition were born and the blue skin condition disappeared altogether generation to the seventies Benjamin. Prepscholar 2013-2018 almost purple, which eased their symptoms and reduced the blue people of Kentucky rare that... A dance on roses methemoglobinemia due to their unusual appearance were extremely high from isolated Appalachia were blue next... Original source unknown, via ABC News the blue people of Kentucky less is known.... College admissions process Elizabeth had seven children, four of whom had blue skin books of history made him the. Was not blue but was a carrier of the methemoglobinemia gene related to....