Two Australian siblings may never sleep again after suffering fatal familial insomnia (FFI), a dreadful condition that has no cure. The duo revealed that the rare insomnia disease is bound to kill them after their mother and grandmother both died of the disorder.
Fatal Familial Insomnia: A Rare Insomnia Disease That Kills
The Mirror reports that news reporter Hayley Webb, 30, and her brother Lachlan Webb, 28, from Queensland, Australia, are suffering from fatal familial insomnia, an incurable and extremely rare insomnia disease that affects one in 10 million people across the globe. The pair disclosed that the genetic illness could strike anytime.
Their family curse could strike at any time, but Hayley and Lachlan are determined not to let it rule their lives.https://t.co/BqOlNQB5Ei
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) May 1, 2016
Lachlan compared the rare insomnia disease to the feeling of "being awake for the last six months of your life." He explained that this is because the body refuses to rejuvenate.
Hayley and Lachlan narrated that they inherited the rare insomnia disease from their mother and grandmother who both died due to rapid mental and physical deterioration caused by the fatal familial insomnia. Their aunt and uncle also died because of the condition. The Australian siblings feared that the disorder will also eventually kill them just like their family members.
The Hope To Find The Cure For The Rare Insomnia Disease
According to The Sun, the Australian siblings are presently taking chances of finding the cure for the rare insomnia disease by taking part in an ongoing fatal familial insomnia study at the University of California. The pioneering study is spearheaded by American couple Eric Minikel and Sonia Vallabah.
Hayley and Lachlan are crossing their fingers that the current study will yield positive results and will finally figure out a cure for the rare insomnia disease. They are also hoping that they will not share the same fate with their family members who died because of fatal familial insomnia.
"I don't want to sit here while the sands through the hour glass pass waiting for it to trigger and for me to cark it," Hayley stated. "I want information, I want answers and I want a bloody cure."
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