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Community News from Middlefield, Parkman, Huntsburg and Surrounding Areas
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Middlef ield DDC Clinic Leads in Identifying Genetic Disorders By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com
The Amish community experiences a higher prevalence of rare health conditions, said Eli Miller, executive director of the DDC Clinic, following the Middlefield State of the Village address April 21. Das Deutsch Center for Special Needs Children was established in 1999 in Middlefield Township with support from Amish community bishops and the medical community, according to the clinic’s website. Miller highlighted the clinic’s works during a presentation at the Burton Middlefield Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “We see more disorders in this little clinic than in any other clinic in the world,” he said before an audience of more than 100 gathered in the DDC meeting room. “There are too many disorders, unfortunately, there are no treatments for. That’s what keeps us going,” Miller said, adding about 90% of the clinic’s patients are Amish or Mennonite. “Rare genetic disorders are not unique to Amish and Mennonites, but there are more because a small group came here in the late 1700s,” he said. At DDC, the staff members work with physicians to identify the gene that causes specific disorders,
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Eli Miller, executive director of the DDC Clinic in Middlefield Township, talks about the clinic’s history and current progress with rare health conditions during the Middlefield State of the Village address April 21 at the clinic.
name them and publish their findings so the conditions are formally recognized, Miller said. The team is led by Dr. Heng Wang, the clinic’s medical director, who joined DDC in 2002 and is an internationally recognized expert on rare genetic disorders, according to the website. Over the past 24 years, Wang has played a key role in the clinic’s scientific discoveries, describing new diseases and associated genes and developing diagnostic and treatment protocols for many genetic conditions, the website
said. He holds a Master of Science degree in nutrition and a doctorate in biochemistry. Miller said Wang’s first year in Middlefield was spent largely traveling, making more than 400 house calls while working out of a small attic office. Today, the clinic serves more than 2,500 patients across 38 states, as well as New Zealand, Canada and Asia, Miller said. “We do see anyone. We like to say we’re an Amish clinic,” he told the audience. Most of the research is conduct-
2026 Cardinal Prom Royalty Xzavier Apathy and Marietta Miller were named this year’s Prom King and Queen. Also on the prom court were Lauri Ala-Uotila, Peeratas Jutamatyangkul, Dominic Harris, Emily Pleva, Adelyn Grant and Ivy Kaminski. LEARY STUDIO
ed in an on-site laboratory, including a molecular diagnostics lab acquired in 2012, Miller said. The lab enables use of a genetic awareness panel — a single blood test that screens for all 270 conditions identified in the Amish community, he said. “The genetic awareness panel is an educational tool, as well,” Miller said, adding about 50% of Amish families choose to have the test performed on their newborns. “It’s a very proactive approach and has been very well received by the community,” he said. DDC also operates a family heart center, where patients with genetic heart conditions receive regular cardiac evaluations. That work led to Wang publishing a medical journal article on cardiomyopathy in 2006, Miller said. About a decade later, a California pharmaceutical company contacted the clinic after developing a gene therapy for cardiomyopathy that showed success in laboratory animals. “Today, they are doing clinical trials on adults. It’s very promising, so far,” Miller said. “This is why our research is so important.” Miller also discussed the clinic’s nonprofit status and its ability to maintain low patient costs. “Low patient fees is not a sustainable way to run a business,” he said, adding insurance, contributions from various organizations and grants take care of a large part of the cost of tests and treatments. “We are very grateful for the community’s support,” Miller said.
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