Robby Novak has become known to the world as ‘Kid President,’ an online YouTube sensation spreading a message about how people can “make the world more awesome.”
In videos, he wears a signature black suit and red tie, looking very presidential. But take away the president from Kid President, and he’s just a typical 9-year-old “kid” – who also happens to have a rare brittle bone disease known as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Basically, he breaks easily.
Osteogenesis imperfecta, a lifelong, chronic condition, affects between 25,000 and 50,000 adults and children in the United States. It’s a rare genetic bone disease characterized by a lack of normal collagen needed to form strong bones. The result is frequent bone fractures, sometimes for no apparent reason. There are different degrees of OI, ranging from a neonatal type, often fatal, to a very mild type that can be underdiagnosed.
