My daughter, 12, has 'childhood Alzheimer's,' here are the symptoms other parents should look out for

A heartbroken mom has opened up astir her 12-year-old daughter's excruciating conflict pinch a uncommon terminal upset that has caused her to create dementia. 

Texas-based mom Ashley Funke, 37, felt her world crumble astir her erstwhile her tween daughter, Alivia, was diagnosed pinch Sanfilippo syndrome, which is simply a rare terminal familial neurodegenerative upset that is often referred to arsenic 'childhood Alzheimer's.'

The illness aggressively attacks nan encephalon and has near Alivia pinch nan intelligence authorities of a kid who is betwixt 3 and 5 years old.

Now, successful a bid to dispersed consciousness astir nan uncommon disorder, nan 37-year-old is sharing nan communicative of really her girl was diagnosed. 

She revealed that Alivia began suffering from nan unwellness astatine conscionable six years old, and she now struggles pinch walking, talking, academics and moreover moving her facial features. 

Ashley revealed that her girl was diagnosed pinch nan illness overmuch later successful life than different children who person nan aforesaid disorder.

At nan property of six, Alivia began declining astatine schoolhouse and struggled to return successful immoderate caller information. 

Four years later, nan past 10-year-old was diagnosed pinch ADHD and autism. 

But by nan clip her girl deed 12, Ashley knew her kid was suffering pinch thing overmuch much serious.

As Alivia's wellness continued to decline, Ashley decided to person her acquisition familial testing, it was past that she tested affirmative for Sanfilippo syndrome.

According to Kid's Health, Sanfilippo syndrome affects 1 successful 70,000 births and it is caused by the change of a azygous cistron successful a child's body, which makes their strategy incapable to break down definite carbohydrates (sugars). 

This past leads to cognitive issues, and affects nan encephalon and tense system. 

The family learnt that Alivia was suffering pinch type A of nan condition, which is nan astir fierce form, and leads to early dementia, struggles pinch stepping and talking, and tin moreover slow down nan improvement of facial features.

The mom admitted that pursuing nan diagnosis, it was progressively difficult for her different children to travel to position pinch their sibling's illness.

The 37-year-old said: 'We were perfectly shocked, devastated, location was a little infinitesimal of alleviation successful location too, for a infinitesimal getting a test I felt for illustration I yet figured it out. 

'Having to show our different children was unsmooth because that's their related and I had to show them 1 time she won't beryllium astir anymore.  

'They took it hard, Alivia is specified a ray and truthful pure, she is nan sweetest psyche you will ever travel across, there's not a personification connected this world she's ever been thing but benignant and loving to.'

Since being diagnosed, Alivia's authorities has continued to diminution but arsenic her information is slower processing that emblematic cases, nan effects person not travel into afloat unit yet. 

'Her short-term representation is very poor, and her semipermanent representation is sporadic, sometimes she remembers things aliases places she's been and different times she doesn't retrieve astatine all,' her mom said.

'Learning it was terminal there's nary cure, nary curen and nary survivors, it was a immense punch to nan gut and nan devastation group it instantly. I spent galore nights incapable to slumber aliases eat.' 

She revealed that her girl was mostly affected successful areas of her representation - adding that her short word representation was highly affected. 

With her besides surviving pinch nan intelligence authorities of a kid betwixt nan ages of 3 and five, it intends she takes much of an liking successful subjects for that property group alternatively than her own. 

'We haven't tally into anyone being mean to her. She's beautiful protected pinch kids astatine school, teachers and staff, and, of course, our families and her astonishing siblings,' Ashley said.

'Alivia struggles academically, she cannot publication aliases legibly constitute aliases do mathematics truthful she struggles academically, she besides has a difficult clip staying successful speech because of her cognitive abilities and being much connected nan property level of a toddler, her reside is besides affected.'

Ashley explained that she was unaware of really her daughter's early would look - adding that she hoped a cure would travel 1 day. 

'We aren't really judge what her early holds, pinch Alivia being diagnosed later successful life, that intends she has a slower progression of, we are still unsure really she is slow progressing and why, aliases what that really intends for her,' she said.

'Our dream is that Alivia will get to support her voice, abilities to walk, talk and bask her favourite foods and tally and play pinch her siblings for arsenic agelong arsenic we perchance tin and springiness her nan champion life afloat of emotion and joy. 

'We are hopeful pinch consciousness will travel much tests that will 1 time bring distant a cure truthful nary family has to ever watch their children deteriorate nan measurement we do aliases immoderate of our Sanfilippo organization families do.'