Rare Condition Makes Middle-Aged Brothers Behave Like Kids

Two middle-aged brothers in Great Britain are suffering from a rare condition that has forced them to move in with their parents as it makes them behave like 10-year olds. Matthew and Michael Clark were diagnosed with terminal leukodystrophy last year, a condition in which the protective covering of the nerve fibers in the brain are destroyed. This prevents the brain from sending correct signals, thus making the body unable to perform even basic functions such as walking, talking and swallowing. Leukodystrophy is a very rare genetic disorder with just 100 adults in Britain being diagnosed with the condition.

Michael, 42, was a gunner with the RAF before a damaged knee ended his military career. The initial symptoms of leukodystrophy began to appear soon after and he was turned out of his flat as he was unable to take care of himself.

He slept in the park for three weeks before the staff at Salvation Army recognized that he suffered from some health problems and sent him to a doctor where he was diagnosed with the condition. The doctors asked whether he had a sibling and on checking up on Matthew, they found that even he had the same condition.

“When they asked him if he had any siblings he said he had a brother and they ran tests on Matthew and discovered he had the same thing. At first we were told doctors thought no one else had this condition and then we found out there are 100 adults in the UK, but no one had heard of it occurring in two siblings”, the brothers’ father, Anthony Clark told the Telegraph newspaper.

Source-Medindia