My genetic disorder was Tay-Sachs disease. Tay-Sachs disease is a disease of the nervous system passed down through people who are from the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Tay-Sachs disease is caused by a defective gene on chromosome 15.
Some symptoms are:
- deafness
- blindness
- loss of muscle strength
- delayed mental and social skills
- loss of brain function
- increased startled reaction
- irritability
- loss of motor skills
- loss of muscle function
- seizures
- slow growth
If the child had a seizure of an unknown cause or if they were different from other seizures, if the child had difficulty breathing, or if the seizure lasts longer than 2-3 minutes, the child might have Tay-Sachs disease. There are no existing treatment for Tay-Sachs disease.
Although there aren't any existing treatment all you can do is make the child comfortable. 1 in every 27 members of the Ashkenazi Jewish population are carriers. Most people who have this disease usually die at age 4 or 5, their symptoms are shown when they are 3-6 months old.
Although there aren't any existing treatment all you can do is make the child comfortable. 1 in every 27 members of the Ashkenazi Jewish population are carriers. Most people who have this disease usually die at age 4 or 5, their symptoms are shown when they are 3-6 months old.
