Evan couldn't wait for school to begin. All summer long, he'd
looked forward to trying out for the basketball team. He'd be a
natural, everyone told him. At 14, he pretty much towered over
his classmates. But when the time came for his sports physical,
the doctor noticed some things about Evan that warranted a
closer look. It wasn't just that Evan was really tall for his
age and compared with other people in his family. In addition to
being 6'1", his arms, legs, and fingers were very long and thin
and his breastbone curved inward, giving his chest a caved-in
look. The doctor told Evan that he couldn't give him the OK to
try out until Evan had a few medical tests. Why? Because he
suspected that Evan might have a genetic disorder called Marfan
syndrome. What Is Marfan Syndrome? Marfan syndrome is named
after Antoine Marfan, the French doctor who first described the
disorder in 1896. Marfan syndrome affects the body's connective
tissue. Connective tissue is found everywhere in the body. Think
of it as a sort of