By Greg Ford

Staff Writer

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Bella Fenoglio will participate in her first pageant later this month in Houston.

However, the Nov. 26 Miss Teen Texas event will not only be a competitive one, but also an opportunity for Bella, 14, to educate people.

Specifically, it will offer the Burnett Junior High student and Woodbridge resident a chance to discuss Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition she was diagnosed with several years ago, and one that affects many other people, who may not know they have it.

The disease, which is most commonly found in young adults and adolescents, has many symptoms, including increased heart rate and lowered blood pressure. About 80 percent of POTS patients are female, one report indicated.

In Bella’s case, an increased heart rate and lower blood pressure became evident when rising to a standing position, as the blood did not rise to her brain as it normally should. The diagnosis was made when Bella was a fifth-grader after she had been stricken and recovered from mononucleosis.

For the full story see the Nov. 16 issue or subscribe online.