A baby has been given another chance of life after he received the world’s most expensive drug through the NHS to treat his genetic disorder. According to I News, one-year-old Edward Willis-Hall from Colchester in Essex was only two months old when doctors diagnosed him with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
SMA refers to the lack of protein that is vital for muscle development which caused Edward to suffer from weakness, difficulty moving and swallowing and breathing problems.
Megan Willis, Edward’s mom never thought it would be possible for her son to achieve this milestone, reports BBC News. Edward can now roll over, sit on his own and has taken his first assisted steps, she said.
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“We are so proud of Edward,” she said. “He’s doing incredibly well. He is far surpassing our expectations. We are so incredibly lucky.”
In the UK, 100 babies are born with SMA each year. The symptoms include weak and floppy arms and legs, struggling to breathe, eat and move. Babies with these conditions usually do not live past the age of two years old.
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Edward had been receiving another drug called Spinraza, which involves being injected into his spine for life, so the one-off injection of Zolgensma really played a great role in this little warrior’s life.
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Picture: Instagram / Megan Willis