A little boy from the Australian state of Victoria is doomed to live in the dark due to his skin’s increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, reports the NZ Herald.
18-month-old George Maddern was born with a rare disease – pigmented xeroderma. Because of this, the boy is allergic to sunlight.
Every day, a child and his parents face many problems. For Maddern to play in the house, all shutters must be closed and the windows must be tightly curtained. To go outside, he must be wrapped in blankets and put on gloves, since no part of his skin should be exposed to the sun.
The disease increases the chance of skin cancer by 10 thousand times, and there is a 25 percent chance that sunlight can affect the boy’s vision, hearing and nervous system. Xeroderma is incurable.
“This diagnosis means that George cannot play outside, go to windows that are not protected from ultraviolet radiation, or even attend any events if halogen lamps are used in the room where they are held,” the child’s uncle explained. >
The boy has already been hospitalized with severe facial burns after spending a short time in the sun without protection.
The family wants to build a special gazebo that will serve as a playground for the child, large enough to accommodate a springboard, basketball hoops and slides. Also, the boy’s parents are planning to tint the windows of the house and the car, install sensors measuring the level of ultraviolet radiation and buy clothes with UV protection.
To date, crowdfunding has raised more than 63,000 Australian dollars (3.5 million rubles).