Family so inbred they were 'real-life Smurfs' as gran turns completely blue
A rare skin condition stunned doctors in 1975 after the birth of a baby left blue due to generations of his family's inbreeding, leaving him and some of his relatives Smurf-like.
Ben Stacy, now 37, is part of the Fugate family from Troublesome Creek, Kentucky, USA. Their unique look is the result of generations of inbreeding that mixed recessive genes in extraordinary ways. The story of the Fugate family began in 1820 when Martin Fugate, a French orphan, and Elizabeth Smart got together.
Martin had an extremely rare genetic disorder called methemoglobinemia, which affects only 0.0035% of people worldwide. This condition prevents proper oxygen transport in the blood, turning it brown and causing blue skin and purple lips.
Members of Ben's family were believed to be blue in skin colour (Youtube)Four of Martin and Elizabeth's seven children were born with blue skin because of this recessive gene. If they hadn't kept marrying within their family, the condition might not have continued in later generations. But because they lived a secluded life, marrying cousins became normal, linking their family with the Combs, Richies, Smiths, and Stacys in their close community. Zacharia, one of Martin and Elizabeth's kids, even married his own aunt, and another son tied the knot with a close cousin.
Zacharia's son, Levy, also married a cousin, which led to the birth of Luna Fugate. She was described as "the bluest woman I ever saw" by ABC News. Luna married John Stacy and they had 13 children, including Ben, who carried on the family line. According to the Daily Star, Ben works as a water plant supervisor at the University of Alaska. He has a degree in wildlife management from Eastern Kentucky University. He is married to Katherine Stacy and they have four children.
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The number of blue-skinned family members started to decrease in the early 20th Century as they spread out and stopped marrying within the family. However, Ben, who was born with blue skin that faded over time, would still show blue lips and fingernails when he was cold or upset as a child. The family's unusual history was discovered in 1958 when Luke Combs went to the doctor for his wife and ended up attracting attention because of his own blueish colour. Dr. Charles H. Behlen II compared Luke's skin tone to "Lake Louise on a cool summer day".
This fascinating story caught the interest of blood specialist Dr. Madison Cawein at the University of Kentucky in the 1960s. He set out to find and study the remaining members of the Fugate family. Dr. Cawein found that they had a deficiency in an important enzyme in their blood and suggested that injections of methylene blue dye could help their condition. Incredibly, after giving the dye, the blue skin vanished within a few days, although only for a short time. Dr. Cawein suggested that the family should take methylene tablets every day to control their condition.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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