Umar Mughal – One of the Famous People with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease)

Umar Mughal – One of the Famous People with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease)

The 28-year-old graphic designer Umar Mughal has suffered from genetic bone disorder Osteogenesis Imperfecta since birth. His soft, fragile bones frequently fractured while he was growing up, and poor healthcare in his home country Pakistan resulted in his tiny stature and deformed limbs.

FIND OUT how local doctors were responsible for ruining his body’s natural development.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta is an inherited bone disease that has no cure and is a lifelong condition. There are eight types of the disease, which can range from mild to fatal. Children born with Type II and Type III are typically born with bone fractures, and often die as newborns. The condition is very rare, and there are fewer than 20,000 cases reported a year world-wide.

Umar’s legs cannot support his body weight, and he gets around by scooting across the floor at home. He has to do physical therapy daily for the rest of his life to maintain mobility of his shortened limbs. The cost of his medical care is wildly expensive and recurring. He faces additional difficulties because of his rounded shoulders and scoliosis in his spine.

While he can move about freely in his own home, Umar is completely reliant on others to carry him around when he’s out in public. He was largely dependent on his brother for transportation, but gradually became more autonomous after getting a job at a graphic design firm 10 years ago.

When Umar got his first graphic design job, he worked his way up through every department, despite coworkers doubting his ability to perform at the same level able-bodied people can.

"Everyone in that studio thought that I would not be able to work. Even my manager thought the same thing… He said he would shorten the duration of my shift because he thought I couldn’t work for that long," he remarked. "But I showed them I can work hard, and within the three months of learning, I amazed everyone. [They] started to support me as much as they could, and they all still do."

Umar was taught by his mother to live his life like a normal healthy man, and began using ride share apps to hail motorcycle drivers for lifts. He now does everything on his own, including attending religious services, getting to and from work, and teaching graphic design to student

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