Katina Tengesdal/MDN - - Natasha Thorson, an individual with Marfan’s syndrome, a disorder that targets connective tissue, hopes to raise awareness of the condition.

Marfan’s syndrome, a disorder of the connective tissue, can affect many body systems; including the heart, blood vessels, bones, joints and eyes. About 1 in 5,000 people have the syndrome, which is caused by a gene mutation. Early knowledge that the condition exists can help an individual with Marfan’s live a better quality of life and to survive longer. Some complications of the syndrome can be fatal for a person with Marfan’s. Selma Kerzman of Bismarck saw that first-hand when her first husband passed away after undergoing surgery to repair an aortic dissection. “His first surgery happened when he was 33, and his last was when he was 47,” Kerzman said. “In the early years of our marriage, when he was having surgeries, it was very difficult. We didn’t know if he would survive.” “People with Marfan’s are tall, they’re thin, and they’re constantly being told they should be in sports,” Kerzman said. “But if they go into sports, dying young is a great problem.