Origins

Tangier disease was discovered on Tangier Island off the coast of Virginia. You can see a picture of the quaint island below. Little did the residents know, it would be thrust into the spotlight as a family developed a brand new genetic condition.

http://www.tangierisland-va.com/a_tangierisland_town_entrance.jpg

In 1959 Teddy Laird of Tangier island was admitted to the hospital with very large and yellow tonsils. After much research, Dr. Donald Fredrickson traveled back to Tangier island to investigate. He discovered that Teddy's sister also had similar symptoms, along with very low levels of HDL cholesterol, (HDL is the good cholesterol). 

It was also found that the parents also had these low levels and gave a basis for a genetic linkage. 

Tangier Disease showcases an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern, meaning that both the mother and the father can be carriers of the disease, but not showcase any symptoms of the disease. 

This explains why both Teddy and his sister had the disease, but neither one of their parents did. 

https://www.geneticsupportfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/autosomal_recessive_inheritance_pattern.jpg