Parents Make Plea To Save Son From Mystery Illness

POSTED: 6:02 pm EST February 23, 2007
UPDATED: 8:32 pm EST February 23, 2007

You may have received the e-mail or the video mail from two local
parents fighting desperately to save the life of their son.

NBC 10 News Medical Reporter Cherie Bank said it's heart-
wrenching and compelling and makes you long to help.

Seeing Ben Wallace with his family is sadder yet, knowing he
has the same genetic illness that took the life of his brother,
Zach.

"We just say, 'You have a brother who's with God. He's your
special angel who's always going to be there for you," said
Nathalie Wallace, the boy's mother.

The problem is the illness that killed Zach and plagues Ben,
but not their sister Olivia, is so rare it has no name.

"The body begins destroying blood cells. Clots end up forming,
and you can have damage to your kidneys and your brain,"
said Dr. Edward Attiyeh of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Zach had his first seizures around 10 months old.

"Then we found out he was blind, he was paralyzed from the
waist down … and I was nine months pregnant with Olivia on
my knees at his bedside just saying, 'God, what is happening?
What is this?'" said Nathalie Wallace.

Now, Ben has had the same problems.

"It's just so hard to believe he's the only one in the world, and
maybe through more people viewing this … that maybe someone
will be able to help more than we're being helped now," said Don
Wallace, the father.

Attiyeh said Ben's problems are triggered by a missing protein.

While doctors search for what protein it is, they treat Ben by
replacing all of his proteins through plasma transfusions every
week.

"I want a cure. I want an answer. I want a doctor who says this
is what it is and this is how we can fix it," said Nathalie Wallace.

"I'm not going to lose him … he's going to be OK. He has to,"
she said.

The family has taken their boys to the Mayo Clinic, Johns
Hopkins and the best children's hospital in the country, here
in Philadelphia.

While they can treat Ben's symptoms, no one can give the
disease a name.

Ben's doctors say his illness is related to a family of diseases that
are called with TTP (Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpea, or
atypical HUS (Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome), where the trigger
is an abnormal or missing protein in your plasma.

The result triggers these flares in which blood cells start breaking
down. Doctors don't know if this is a genetic disease carried on the
X chromosome or if it is autosomal recessive.

If you have any scientist in your family with any ideas, here's a
link to the Ben's family's Web site: ZacharyWallaceFund.com.

Copyright 2007 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved.

http://www.nbc10.com/health/11096996/detail.html?dl=mainclick

http://www.zacharywallacefund.com./

Video Link:
http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=65221

NBC10.com
http://www.nbc10.com/index.html
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Medical Mystery
Stephanie Abrams reports a family is dealing
with a medical mystery after two of their
children came down with an unknown illness
that has doctors puzzled:

Video Link:
http://cbs3.com/video/?id=36756@kyw.dayport.com

Medical Mystery:
http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_054063502.html
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