Meet Tasia and learn more about what it’s like to grow up with FAOD.

Tasia is living with long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorder (LC-FAOD). As an infant, she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart five times as large and was immediately tested for multiple diseases, and shortly after, was diagnosed with very long chain acyl-co A deficiency (VLCAD), a form of FAOD. Tasia’s transitions into adolescence and adulthood were challenging because she experienced more symptoms as she got older. She admits that she was in denial at first, but she has learned to accept her condition and not let it define her. Tasia is proud to be a beacon of hope for young people living with a rare disease.

Long-Chain Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorder (FAOD)

What is it?


What causes it?


What are some of the common symptoms?

  • Muscle rupture
  • Low blood sugar
  • Muscle weakness
  • Decreased muscle tone
  • Disease of the heart muscle

How many people have it?

It is estimated that 1 in 9,300 people in the U.S., Australia, and Germany have FAOD.1

Most common types of long-chain FAOD

  • Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase (CPT I or CPT II) Deficiency
  • Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase (VLCAD) Deficiency
  • Trifunctional Protein (TFP) Deficiency

1Lindner M, Hoffmann GF, Matern D. Newborn screening for disorders of fatty-acid oxidation: experience and recommendations from an expert meeting. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2010;33(5):521-526.
