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Young boy suffers from "childhood Alzheimer's"

Posted on Mar 3rd 2008 3:00PM by Adams Briscoe
Having a young child with a dangerous medical condition can be a parent's worse nightmare. Especially when that medical condition is referred to as "the rarest of the rare." Niemann-Pick disease afflicts around 200 people in the United States, so people can only imagine how limited the treatment options are.

A family in Oregon is battling with such a problem alongside their 10-year-old son, Peyton. He has this genetic metabolic disorder which leads to neurological deterioration. It's so rare that the drugs alone cost over $100,000 (and there is no cure). Dementia is also part of Niemann-Pick which leads to it being called "childhood Alzheimer's."

The issue is that this disease affects Peyton's spleen, liver and brain due to his inability to metabolize cholesterol. The Hadleys know that their son's chances of living past his 20s are very slim, due to Niemann-Pick Type C being fatal. But Peyton is a normal kid who loves to collect baseball cards and read the Hardy Boys. If you'd like to help support this family, head on over to HadleyHope.com and find out more!

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