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Scientific Enigma: British Toddler First Person EVER to Have Extra DNA Strand

Scientific Enigma: British Toddler First Person EVER to Have Extra DNA Strand

His lips turned blue and he stopped breathing.

Brave Alfie Clamp, a two-year old boy, is blind. He has intestinal problems, and is beset by disabilities. His muscles are so weak that as an infant, he could barely roll himself over. After he was first born, and his parents took him home from the hospital, he had to be rushed back within days because his lips turned blue and he stopped breathing.

Eventually, doctors started to perform tests on him. And what they found out was astonishing: little Alfie had an extra strand of DNA on his seventh chromosome. This is the first documented case of this condition which, being a first, does not have a name.

According to his mother, "When the doctors told us I was absolutely devastated. As a pregnant mum you spend nine months thinking about what it will be like when your baby takes their first step or claps their hands."

As Alfie's mother knows all too well, the little boy's symptoms can be quite severe:

He still suffers serious digestive problems and needs a cocktail of drugs every day to help his body absorb vital nutrients.

He also suffers fits which sparked by high temperatures and metabolic problems stop him from eating or drinking.

Since he was born, Alfie has been rushed to hospital six times - including twice just last month - when he stopped breathing.

His parents even believed he was dying twice and were stunned when Alfie made a full recovery after spending time in hospital.

Mr and Mrs Clamp, who also have 10-year-old daughter Georgia who is perfectly healthy, had their DNA tested but were not carriers of the faulty gene.

Mr Clamp said: 'The doctors told us there is nothing we could have done to prevent it. I don't think we'll ever know why it happened.

Mrs. Clamp adds, "Having a boy like Alfie makes you appreciate the little things."

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