By Ranjan Bhaduri
Dec.28, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Jan Marquez and Ferd never thought their playful jolly son would develop complicated ailment in his early years. The situation has changed drastically within a few years of his birth. The 4 year old Gavin Marquez has lost the capacity to stand on his legs. His mother has to work hard to dress him up. For feeding the child the doctors have to use a gastrostomy tube that has been fixed with his stomach. Even breathing is not an easy task for the ill fated kid. It has changed the lives of his parents in an unforeseen way. The nervous system in Gavin Marquez’s body has been wrecked havoc by a rare ailment named Tay-Sachs. It is a hereditary disease sparked by mutation of genes. It makes the victim’s body unable to generate an enzyme named Hexosaminidase A. It results in development of harmful fatty matter in body parts which eventually causes lots of damage to the brain.

There is not much his parents can hope for. The doctors have ruled out the chances for a recovery. It is likely to make him retarded and blind in the long run. Gene therapy is an option but it is not likely to be available before 2012. The doctors do not think the child will survive till that time. The couple did not have any idea about the disease before the doctors diagnosed it in their son.

This ailment is extremely rare and hardly 15 American kids are diagnosed with it every year. Juvenile cases are not seen commonly. The children who get afflicted with this ailment do not live for long. However, in some cases they can live past their teen years.