The dad of an eight-year-old girl who has just years to live said she is the 'happiest girl', despite her medical condition.
Isla Sykes from Linthwaite, West Yorkshire, suffers from the rare illness Sanfilippo Syndrome, which manifests itself in developmental delay similar to dementia. No signs of the disease are shown at birth, but as it progresses, it means that the child will slowly lose the ability to speak, walk, and eat.
The rare genetic metabolism disorder, which is often likened to the onset of dementia, means a change in a single gene makes a child's body unable to break down certain carbohydrates (sugars). This leads to serious problems in the brain and nervous system and there is no cure, reports YorkshireLive.
