Louis Mushrow has Smith-Magenis Syndrome which is caused by an abnormality in chromosome 17 – it only affects one in every 25,000 people
He wells up if he hears stirring music because ‘it triggers the part of his brain which controls emotions’ but he is not upset
The main features of SMS include mild to moderate intellectual disability, disturbed sleep patterns and behavioural problems
A young boy suffers from a rare medical condition which his parents say makes him burst into tears every time he hears stirring music. Louis Mushrow, nine, has a genetic disorder which causes him to well up if he hears a love song.
The schoolboy cries floods of tears whenever he listens to moving classical music or an emotional pop ballad. Louis’ parents say he breaks down if soulful tunes come on the radio and if he hears them being played in a shop. But Louis isn’t sad – the melodies trigger just the part of the brain which controls the emotions which cause him to sob uncontrollably.
His mother Lisa, 40, said: ‘Certain music always makes him cry, especially classical music or pop songs about love. ‘People sometimes think he’s crying because he’s upset. ‘We found out it’s because certain music releases all these emotions in his brain.
‘We can’t really explain it – it’s just the way his brain is wired up.’ Louis, born six weeks premature, was diagnosed with Smith-Magenis Syndrome which affects only one in every 25,000 people. His family, who live in Hawarden, North Wales, only realised the impact music has on him when he started crying during the Welsh national anthem.
They want to raise awareness of the condition which was only discovered in the 1980s. Mother-of-three Mrs Mushrow added: ’Louis is a lovely boy but we have had some nasty comments from people. ‘Once when we were in a shopping centre he was on the floor screaming when a gentleman said to us: “Sort your son out”.
‘I can only go to the supermarket for a few things at a time as he can’t cope with too much at once. ‘You get dirty looks and people tell you to control your child. But Louis can’t help it. ‘People don’t understand because he doesn’t look like he has special needs. People look at us and think we’re bad parents.
‘That’s why I want to raise awareness about it – there could be other parents who might not be aware their child has the syndrome. ‘We were lucky that Louis had the genetic tests at nine-weeks-old and that meant we’ve been able to get specialist help for him. Smith-Magenis Syndrome is a genetic disability caused by an abnormality of chromosome 17. The main features of the syndrome include mild to moderate intellectual disability, disturbed sleep patterns and behavioural problems.
These behaviour problems can be exhibited in a variety of ways, including frequent temper tantrums, impulsivity, anxiety, distractibility, aggression and self-hitting and self-biting.
SMS is typically not inherited and people with the condition most often have no history of the condition in their family.
Mrs Mushrow, and her husband Martin, 41, recently took part in a country-wide fundraiser for the Jeans for Genes charity that raises money for children with genetic disorders.
The couple have two other children Adam, 14 and Hannah, three, who are not affected by the condition.
There is no cure for Louis’ condition but his family hope with more research and continued education he will be able to finish school.
Mrs Mushrow said: ‘I hope that he’ll go on to college one day. I just want him to be safe and happy.’
WHAT IS SMITH-MAGENIS SYNDROME?
Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) is a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body.
The major features of this condition include mild to moderate learning disabilities, distinctive facial features, sleep disturbances, and behavioral problems.
Individuals with Smith-Magenis Syndrome also have a short flat head, prominent forehead, broad square face, deep-set eyes, underdeveloped midface, broad nasal bridge, short nose, tented upper lip, and a chin that is small in infancy and becomes relatively prominent with age.
These facial differences can be subtle in early childhood, but they usually become more distinctive in later childhood and adulthood.
During infancy these children often have feeding problems, failure to thrive, weak muscle tone, prolonged napping and lethargy.
Later in childhood and adulthood they can develop disturbed sleep patterns (difficulty falling asleep, regular waking throughout the night and sleepiness in the day), as well as behavioural problems.
These behaviour problems can be displayed in a variety of ways, including frequent temper tantrums, impulsivity, anxiety, aggression and self-injurious behaviours including self-hitting, self-biting, and skin picking.
Smith-Magenis Syndrome affects an estimated one in 25,000 individuals.
The syndrome is caused by an abnormality in the short (p) arm of chromosome 17 and is sometimes called the 17p- syndrome.
- Culled from standard.co.uk
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