Families campaign on rare juvenile dementia

Healthcare News
25/07/2008
Parents campaign about highly unusual condition.

Two families in Milton Keynes are campaigning for greater awareness of a rare form of juvenile dementia after their children were diagnosed with the condition, it is reported.

According to the ITV website, three-year-old Hollie Carter and Josh Cullip, aged 20 months, suffer from a juvenile form of senile dementia called Niemann Pick.

It says there are only 500 known cases of the condition in the world and there is no known cure.

The website reports that Hollie's mother Helen Carter said the children are expected to decline both mentally and physically any time from the age of two years, adding: "They'll lose the ability to walk, to talk, they'll start slurring their words, they'll have seizures that are hard to control and it will get progressively worse - the dementia will set in."

While Hollie and Josh are said to have developed an inseparable friendship, the two families plan to travel to the US to take part in research searching for a cure.

Earlier this week, Derby's Evening Telegraph reported that Heather Roberts, a former computer lecturer who was diagnosed with dementia at 50, is seeking to promote awareness of the condition in younger age groups.

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