Family of seven deals with disease

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - One Lafayette family's hearts remain strong, in spite of the nerve disorder weakening their muscles.

"I'm 12 years old and I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth," said Keturah Camp.

"I'm 10 and a half. [I have] Charcot-Marie-Tooth," Nathanael Camp said.

Meet the Camp family.

"All the children are affected, including my wife," explained their father Wayne Camp.

In fact, Wayne Camp is the only family member that doesn't suffer from the inherited disorder, one of several aside from muscular dystrophy included in the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) program.

All five of the Camp children, including six-year-old Benjamin, four-year-old Ephraim and two-year-old Hannah suffer from Charcot Marie Tooth, as does their mother, Lynnette Camp.

"I tend to drop things quite a bit or tremor. I can fall out of the blue for no apparent reason. I do have AFO braces that I wear once in awhile," Lynnette Camp explained.

She said all her children suffer from the same symptoms and more like speech impairment. At just 12 years old, Keturah has spent a lot of time wearing her leg braces as well. That's why she shares her story and struggle. She was a Goodwill ambassador in Oregon before the Camp family to Lafayette for Wayne's job.

Both Lynnette and Wayne Camp said money raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Association has allowed them to send Keturah and Nathanael Camp to MDA camp, which costs over $800 per child.

"You can see that they're having fun and more alive when they are there," Wayne Camp said.

Keturah Camp loves going to camp for many reasons.

"To get freedom from your friends, your friends from school and texting and getting away from your parents. There is horseback riding that I love to do there," she said.

"Yeah, away from my parents," laughed Nathanael Camp.

The Camp family is hoping the experience it has with fundraising and raising awareness in Oregon will help other families in the area. Lynnette Camp said she is so grateful for all the people who volunteer and donate to MDA.

"The positiveness that can come because it is something that can be very detrimental. Life does go on. God put us here for a reason," said Lynnette Camp.