WARE SHOALS — McKenzie Marie Smith, daughter of Ronald Smith, Jr. and Tasha Smith of Ware Shoals, SC. McKenzie Marie Smith was born Friday, November 20, 2020 and entered into eternal rest on Friday, November 20, 2020 at Self Regional Healthcare.

McKenzie Marie Smith was born with a rare genetic disease known as Trisomy 13, also called Patau syndrome. McKenzie Mari Smith was born with a bad heart defect that is caused by Trisomy 13.

Memories of her life will be cherished by loving father, Ronald Smith Jr. and mother, Tasha Smith, of the home; two grandfathers, Ronald Smith Sr., of Greenwood, SC; and Bobby Anderson, of Ware Shoals, SC; four uncles, Sherman (Kendra) Smith, of Greenwood, SC; Chavis Anderson, Cedric Anderson, Courtenay Anderson, all of Ware Shoals; three aunts, Tonya (Osis) Wideman, of Greenwood, SC; Calida Anderson and Tierra Anderson, both of Ware Shoals.

McKenzie Marie Smith was preceded in death by her two grandmothers, Betty Smith and Georgette Anderson.

Description of Trisomy 13:

Trisomy 13 is a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and physical abnormalities in many parts of the body. Individuals with Trisomy 13 often have heart defects, brain or spinal cord abnormalities, very small or poorly developed eyes (microphthalmia), extra fingers or toes, an opening in the lip (cleft lip) with or without an opening in the roof of the mouth (a cleft palate), and weak muscle tone (hypotonia). Due to the presence of several life-threatening medical problems many infants with Trisomy 13 die within their first days or weeks of life. Only 5 to 10 percent of children with this condition live past their first year.

Cause:

Most cases of Trisomy 13 result from having three copies of chromosome 13 in each cell in the body instead of the usual two copies. The extra genetic material disrupts the normal course of development, causing the characteristic features of Trisomy 13. Trisomy 13 can also occur when part of chromosome 13 becomes attached (translocated) to another chromosome during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm) or very early in fetal development. Affected people have two normal copies of chromosome 13, plus an extra copy of chromosome 13 attached to another chromosome. In rare cases, only part of chromosome 13 is present in three copies. The physical signs and symptoms in these cases may be different than those found in full Trisomy 13.

A small percentage of people with Trisomy 13 have an extra copy of chromosome 13 in only some of the body’s cells. In these people, the condition is called mosaic Trisomy 13. The severity of mosaic Trisomy 13 depends on the type and number of cells that have the extra chromosome. The physical features of mosaic Trisomy 13 are often milder than those of full Trisomy 13.

Services for McKenzie Marie Smith were held on Monday, November 23, 2020, at Rockford A.M.E Church in Mt. Carmel. Please be mindful and practice social distancing. Online condolences may be sent to robson@nctv.com. Arrangements are being handled by Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc.