Funny lady Miranda says she's borderline. Rachmaninov was full-blown. Someone I know is built like one and plays like the other and she's probably got Marfan Syndrome too. Which wouldn't matter a jot, except that this little-known condition can lead to sudden death.
People with Marfan are often extremely flexible. The party trick of the person i know is to do the splits, despite looking more like a wrestler than a gymnast. She can also touch her wrist with her thumb - hallmark Marfan. This flexibility affects blood vessels which can burst without warning.
Her dad died of a heart attack in the street. No one made any connection. Until I read about Miranda, no one had. It could be affecting her children, who might need to take care at sports, or her brothers, also ignorant of the risk.
It was Caitlin Moran interviewing Miranda in the Times who first sounded the alert. The comic cannot drink even one glass of wine without being off her face - exactly like the woman I know. So I started digging. Then I sent her the facts.
Was that the right thing to do? Such news is shattering. We are not good friends. Should I have let her live, probably without incident, in ignorance? Or would I have forever carried the weight had she dropped dead like her dad and nobody was any the wiser? Marfan is rare, but if any of this sounds like you, get it checked out. It's a drug regime and regular heart checks. It could save your life. I might just have saved hers.
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