'I'D DO ANYTHING FOR A HUG FROM MY TODDLER'

This brave little Aussie boy is the youngest person in the world with Parkinson’s disease

- Jasmine Kazlauskas

Loving Melbourne mum Bec Marsh has only ever wanted one thing from her youngest son – for him to be able to hug her back.

Looking at her three-year-old boy Jahleel’s bright eyes and cheeky smile, you’d never know the unimaginable hardships he has already faced in his short life. When the toddler was just three months old he became the youngest in the world to be diagnosed with a rare one-in56 million condition described as “children’s Parkinson’s disease”.

The brain disorder is known as aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency, which is a neurological genetic condition that affects the way signals are passed between certain cells in the nervous system.

“He is such a sweet little boy. He can only smile a few minutes a day, but it’s so lovely to get a glimpse into the beautiful child he truly is,” Bec, 41, tells Woman’s Day.

“He will often just crack up laughing, and it warms my heart. He can be so cheeky, but he is also super sweet and has such a gentle personality.”

‘TRAPPED’ INSIDE