Two Pakistani brothers suffer from a rare and unknown medical condition that causes them to become paralyzed once the sun sets.
13-year-old Shoaib Ahmed and his 9-year-old brother, Abdul Rasheed, are active and well during daytime but they are unable to speak or move once darkness falls. Doctors in Pakistan cannot describe the exact cause of their condition but are subjecting the brothers to medical treatments and examinations.
‘Our doctors are doing medical tests to determine why these kids remain active in the day but cannot open their eyes, why they cannot talk or eat when the sun goes down.’ Javed Akram, a professor of medicine at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, said.
The brothers acquired the nickname ‘Solar Boys’ and have been under observation in a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan since the start of the year. They have undergone more than 300 tests so far.
Doctors primarily hypothesized that they might be getting their energy from the sunlight. However, they already ruled this out as the boys were able to move in a dark, enclosed room during daytime. They also found out that the boys were not suffering from nerve damage or sleep paralysis, which is a condition wherein the body becomes paralyzed during REM sleep while the brain remains awake.
They are now looking at the idea that the condition is related to the boys’ genetics, as their parents are first cousins – a practice that is not rare in Pakistan. Oddly enough, their sister is not affected and two of their brothers who had the same condition have already died.
Further investigations and examinations are being conducted in and outside the country, with the hope that someone somewhere will somehow determine the cause of their condition.
They are also hoping that medication will help relieve the boys of their condition, as they responded positively to earlier medication given to them.
‘These boys will now hopefully have a near-normal life with the help of the medicines.’ Dr. Akram told Barcroft Media.
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