Harry Raymond Eastlack

Harry Raymond Eastlack, Jr. (17 November 1933 – 11 November 1973) was the subject of the most recognized case of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) from the 20th century.

His case is also particularly acknowledged, by scientists and researchers, for his contribution to medical advancement.

After suffering from a rare, disabling, and currently incurable genetic disease, Eastlack decided to have his skeleton and medical history donated to the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in support of FOP research.

His skeleton is one of the few FOP-presenting, fully articulated ones in existence, and it has proved valuable to the study of the disease.

As is characteristic of FOP patients, Eastlack did not demonstrate any possible sign of a disease at birth except for a malformation of the big toes.

At the time it was not recognized as the first clinical sign of FOP.

Harry Eastlack was born on November 17, 1933, at 10:24 am in the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia.

There are no reports of any difficulties during his delivery, though there was the observation of a minor congenital malformation.

The noted malformation was his congenital bilateral hallux valgus, oftentimes referred to as a bunion.

Harry Raymond Eastlack, Jr. was son to Helen Florence Brown and Harry Raymond Eastlack.

They were both 40 years of age at the time of his birth.

His father, Harry, worked in the railroads under engineering management, while his mother was a housewife.

They resided in 5745 Haddington Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at the time of Harry's birth they already had a daughter by the name of Helene.

Harry was closest to his mother.

She would walk him to and from school, as well as bake for him at home.

His sister, Helene, later became a music teacher and remained in Philadelphia.

Records suggest that his childhood was an active and happy one.

His pastimes consisted of listening to music on the radio or records at home.

Eastlack would also enjoy reading, playing with his sister, and going to the movies.

Additionally, a seat was exclusively reserved for him at the center of the seventh row in Hamilton Theater, a musical theater, in Philadelphia.

It has been claimed that ushers would not let anyone else sit there, as the spot was spacious enough to later allow Eastlack to stretch his immobile leg.

While heterotopic bone growth can begin spontaneously in FOP patients, Eastlack, like most patients, first experienced a triggered proliferation due to an illness or injury.

He was about four years old, playing with Helene, his sister, outdoors.

A car hit his leg, injuring his left femur.

He was taken to the hospital where his leg was put in a cast before returning home.

The fracture never set properly, and when the cast was removed months later, his leg was painfully swollen with a high amount of inflammation.

No further action was taken and shortly after Eastlack began to experience his first set of abnormal bone growths.

His hips and knees had become difficult to move.

When he was taken to the hospital with this concern, the doctor took X-rays in which the bony deposits on his thigh muscles were revealed.

The doctors were not able to diagnose his condition having seen this, and it continued to progress in the anatomically characteristic manner that FOP does.

Eastlack soon suffered flare-ups along his back, neck, and chest.

In attempts to diagnose and treat Eastlack's condition, the doctors ordered biopsies and performed a total of 11 surgical procedures to remove excess and heterotopic ossification, such as that on his thigh muscles.

However, Eastlack's condition was aggravated by such procedures and the bone plates returned thicker and more predominant.

It was not until 1937 when the first heterotopic ossification symptom surfaced.

By the time of his death, Eastlack's skeleton bore sheets of bone along the vertebrae, which fused to and locked his skull, and branches of bone along his limbs, which immobilized his shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.

It was 1938, the year after the incident, when he was finally diagnosed with myositis ossificans progressiva, which is now known as Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

He died in Philadelphia of bronchial pneumonia six days before his 40th birthday.

Unaware of the consequences of surgery on an FOP patient, the physician admitted Eastlack for hip surgery in 1941 which caused further physical restriction.

Over time Eastlack became more and more immobilized as more joints became fused and newly formed sheets or strings of bone calcified his limbs.

In 1944 he was readmitted for a study which confirmed that the calcified smooth muscles, tendons, and ligaments had indeed become mature bone.