The Last Meritocracy

The Last Meritocracy

Thank you for my sneakers

Silence, survival, and an ounce of kindness that outshone it all.

Marcello De Feo's avatar
Marcello De Feo
May 22, 2025
∙ Paid
several pairs of shoes hanging from a line
Photo by Fabian Luethard on Unsplash

I have a condition called Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome. It causes intussusception, increased and frequent polyp growth, a heightened risk of cancer, and a lower-than-average life expectancy.

It is rare, often causing misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all. A telltale sign is a dark pigmentation that appears on your lips and the…

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