The Fugate family had many family members who suffered from unusually discolored skin.

Living in a secluded rural community in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky, the Fugates regularly mingled with relatives. It began in 1820 in the isolated Appalachia area of ​​Perry Kentucky when Martin Fugate and his wife Elizabeth Smart met. Read more related articles Read more related articles According to the Mirror, Mr. Fugate had a very rare and unusual genetic defect called methaemoglobinaemia, which affects just 0.0035 percent of the world’s population. The condition means that the blood does not carry enough oxygen throughout the body as it should normally and, as a result, the blood turns brown due to the lack of red blood cells that carry oxygen. As a result, white patients’ skin turns blue and their lips turn purple for some people. The family lived in an isolated rural community that led to regular crossings (Image: Youtube) When Martin and Elizabeth had seven children, four of them were born with blue skin due to the remaining methaemoglobinemia gene. However, as the gene was residual, the condition would not have affected future children if they had not been married into their family. But as the family lived in such a rural area, the Fungate’s did not mingle and did not meet other people and continued to marry their cousins. They had families in the small community with the Combs, the Richies, the Smiths and the Stacys. Their skin turned blue due to generations of incest (Image: Youtube) Zacharias, one of Martin and Elizabeth’s children, strangely married his aunt, and another son married a close cousin. Another child would later marry his cousin as Luna Fugate was known as the bluest member of the family, who described her as having “dark lips like bruises”. She married John Stacey in the late 19th century and had 13 children together. While the rare condition of methemoglobinemia can cause developmental disorders and seizures, it did not affect the family as Luna lived to be 84. And their children are said to be healthy despite their blue appearance. As the gene was residual, the condition would not have affected future children if they had not been married within their family (Image: Youtube) Their extremely unusual story attracted the interest of blood specialist Dr. Madison Cawein at the University of Kentucky, who was fascinated by the family. In the 1960s, he set out to try to locate them and was able to meet some of the Fugate family who survived as he assessed their condition. He said the family’s blood lacked a key enzyme and he believed that if he injected them with the blue dye methylene, he could make a difference. It is noteworthy that within a few days the blue skin disappeared but lasted only a few days. However, Dr. Cawein encouraged the family to take daily methylene tablets to help with their condition. Do not miss the latest news from all over Scotland and beyond – Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.