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A rare and extremely severe genetic condition that affects the brain and nerves, most commonly found in babies who appear healthy at birth and seem to develop normally for the first few months of life. After this period, development slows and symptoms start. These babies lack an enzyme (protein) called Beta-hexosaminidase A (HEX A) which is necessary for breaking down fatty substance in the brain and nerve cells. There is no cure or effective treatment for this condition. Children affected will die usually around the age of 5. What condition could possibly be so fatal and devastating? Tay-Sachs.
This disease is distinguished by the onset of severe mental and developmental retardation starting around six months of age. Gradually, Tay-Sachs children lose motor skills and mental functions. The apparently healthy baby steadily stops smiling; crawling or turning over, loses its ability to grasp or reach out and, eventually, become blind, paralyzed and unresponsive to its surrounding.......

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Approximate Word Count: 1003
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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