CARIBOU and LIMESTONE, Maine – Students from Caribou and Limestone schools recently learned what it means to help uplift someone through difficult times.
Claire Durepo, 13, a seventh grader at Limestone Community School, began feeling ill in June 2023, and her symptoms escalated later that fall. After seeing numerous doctors in Maine, Boston and Washington D.C., Claire and her parents Chris and Libby Durepo learned six weeks ago that Claire has a rare syndrome known as Median Arcuate Ligament, or MALS.
MALS occurs when arteries become compressed and do not allow blood to flow from the stomach to other organs, said Claire’s mother Libby Durepo.
“It’s like her stomach is having a mini-stroke because of the lack of blood flow,” Libby Durepo said.
A person could be born with MALS, according to the National MALS Foundation. In other cases, the syndrome might develop after spinal or abdominal surgery or from abdominal trauma. Doctors are still unsure how Claire developed MALS, Libby Durepo said.
Because of the MALS, Claire has been unable to digest food since November and relies on a feeding tube. MALS caused her to have trouble sitting up for more than 15 minutes at a time, Libby Durepo said.
Trauma from enduring medical treatment for MALS caused Claire to also develop catatonia, during which she lost her vision, speech and ability to walk.
“Because of all the stress, her body basically went into fight or flight mode,” Libby Durepo said.
During her hospital stays, doctors also diagnosed Claire with Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, or SMAS, which occurs when the superior mesenteric artery and the abdominal branch of the aorta, the body’s main artery, compress the beginning of the small intestine; and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, which causes the heart to beat faster when someone transitions from lying to sitting down.
Claire recently regained her vision and speech. Though she still relies on a wheelchair to move around, she is slowly regaining her posture, mobility and ability to sit up for longer periods of time.
Two weeks ago Claire had a successful surgery in DC to treat the artery compression in her stomach, and she is traveling to Portland, Maine, this week for another surgery. Her parents expect that she will need a third surgery and extensive physical rehab to aid in her recovery.
Through it all, Claire and her family have seen an outpouring of support from family and friends, most recently from a group of Caribou students, most of whom Claire had never met.
It started at Caribou Community School when eighth-grade teacher Holly Rhinebolt, who is friends with Libby Durepo, had her students write and send Get Well cards to Claire. Rhinebolt and Claire have bonded many times over their shared love of snowmobiling.
After Claire posted a TikTok video of herself opening the cards, the Caribou eighth grade class decided to make Claire the recipient of their annual Eighth Grade Gives Back pledge drive and walkathon.
“Some of our students knew Claire from snowmobiling and basketball. When they saw the smile on her face [as she opened the cards], that led to us doing a walkathon for her,” Rhinebold said.
The class raised $7,111 to go toward Claire’s medical expenses, which Rhinebolt presented to the Durepos during a walkathon Tuesday, May 28 at Limestone Community School.
Over 100 students from Caribou’s eighth grade class and Limestone’s seventh and eighth grade classes walked four laps, totaling one mile, around the Limestone school’s running track. Many students took turns pushing Claire in her wheelchair.
Due to her extensive hospital stays, Claire has not attended school since November but thanks to a tutor, she will move on to eighth grade this fall. Though Claire will not attend Caribou High School until fall 2025, she felt grateful to meet her future classmates.
“It was amazing to see kids I didn’t even know come up and offer to push me [around the track],” Claire Durepo said. “They told me that they are inspired by what I’ve done and how strong I’ve been.”
Seeing two communities come together to cheer Claire on was especially touching for Claire’s family.
“A lot of those students don’t even know us, but they got behind us and said they’re #ClaireStrong,” said Chris Durepo, referring to a social media hashtag for Claire.
Claire’s story inspired eighth grader Kassidy Saucier and friends to raise more money for Claire with a lemonade stand. The group will set up during Caribou’s Thursdays on Sweden Street kickoff June 6.
“Everyone goes through something and if we come together, we can help them,” Saucier said.
A previous version of this story misstated the cause of Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, or SMAS.
