Nathan is 10 years old and suffers from a very rare genetic condition. He was the first child diagnosed in Australia (currently there are only 2 kids in Australia with AADC). There are only 120 children (approx.) around the world with this condition.

Nathan is a courageous boy who despite being unable to move, walk, talk or eat (he is fed directly into the stomach), manages to smile everyday and very rarely complains. He has endured a lot of pain and suffering over his short life including multiple operations and hospital admissions.

As parents, we all aim to give our children a better life. Nathan recently had revolutionary gene therapy surgery in Japan to replace the defective gene that codes for the neurotransmitters that his body is unable to produce (dopamine & serotonin). He has already shown improvement with his swallowing and ability to eat small amounts of pureed foods. At this stage, it is still too early to notice any other changes.

Over the years, The AADC Research Trust has funded research into AADC and organised 3 major conferences that were attended by doctors from all over the world including Japan. It is through this collaboration that in part has helped Nathan become the first international patient in Japan's gene therapy program. 

Although Nathan has had gene therapy surgery, your support of The AADC Research Trust will promote further research into other areas of science that may benefit Nathan and all the other AADC children around the world. Thank you!

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.