Wendy is a perky, vivacious adolescent entering middle school with a lifelong vision of becoming an cheerleader. Wendy has been called bendy by family and friends because she’s been limber and flexible throughout her life, earning her the nickname ‘Bendy Wendy.’

As soon as she’s about to realize her ultimate aspiration of making the cheerleading squad as a flyer, Wendy worries that her dream will be shattered by constant physical issues plaguing her during rigorous practices and performances.

On the outside, Wendy looks perfectly ‘normal, ’ but clearly something more is going on. Join Wendy and her parents on their journey through a diagnosis and revelations of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / joint hypermobility, an ‘almost’ invisible genetic syndrome.

Bendy Wendy and the (Almost) Invisible Genetic Syndrome… A story of one tween’s diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / joint hypermobility was written to fill a need for families, children, and tweens that find themselves in a position of understanding and explaining, in basic terms, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the issues associated with it.

It’s been thoughtfully developed by bone and connective tissue disorder expert Dr. Brad T Tinkle and his award-winning children’s book author wife, Laurren Darr. For almost a decade, they had dinner-time conversations on how to better serve and reassure children and families affected by Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / joint hypermobility. Bendy Wendy and the (Almost) Invisible Genetic Syndrome… A story of one tween’s diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / joint hypermobility is the culmination of that goal.