The Fugate Family and the Blue Skin Condition
For decades, the Fugate family of rural Kentucky suffered from a rare blood disorder that turned their skin blue, a result of generations of inbreeding. The condition, known as methemoglobinemia, causes an abnormally high amount of methemoglobin in the blood, making it appear dark blue and visible through the skin.
The family's history began around 1820 when Martin Fugate emigrated from France to Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. Martin himself was born with blue skin, and his parents abandoned him in an orphanage. He later married Elizabeth Smith, who also carried the recessive gene for the same rare condition. Together, they had seven children, four of whom were born with blue skin, according to History Extra.
Isolation and Inbreeding
The Fugates lived in a remote area with no roads connecting them to the outside world. Only four other families—the Combs, Richies, Smiths, and Stacys—resided nearby. This isolation led to widespread inbreeding, ensuring the rare disease persisted through generations. Among Martin and Elizabeth's children, Zacharia married his own aunt, while another son married a close cousin. One descendant, Luna Fugate, was described as being "blue all over" with lips "as dark as a bruise."
Luna married John Stacy in the late 19th century, and the couple had 13 children. Remarkably, the children were healthy apart from their blue complexion, despite potential risks such as developmental disorders and seizures associated with methemoglobinemia.
Medical Discovery
In the 1960s, hematologist Madison Cawein of the University of Kentucky identified the condition after encountering two blue-skinned patients at a local clinic. Ruling out heart and lung disease, he concluded they had methemoglobinemia. Dr. Cawein injected some family members with methylene blue dye, which temporarily eliminated their blue skin for several days, but the color eventually returned. He then recommended daily tablets to manage the condition.
The condition gained widespread attention in 1975 when Benjamin Stacy was born with skin "as blue as Lake Louise," as reported by ABC News. He was rushed to the University of Kentucky Medical Center for a blood transfusion until his grandmother suggested he looked like the Fugates of Troublesome Creek. It was later revealed that his great-grandmother was Luna Fugate, considered the "bluest" woman ever seen.
Modern-Day Family Members
Hazel Fugate told the DailyMail that the condition persists in the family today. Her husband, Gary, a descendant of Martin Fugate, suffers from methemoglobinemia. Hazel noted that in low light, "the colour of his skin is a blue purple" and becomes more noticeable with age. The couple's son was born with the condition but outgrew it by age five, while their daughter appeared affected for only a few months.
