Five-year-old Isaac Brown was born with a rare genetic disorder that doesn't let him feel pain at all. At first, a parent might think "Woo-hoo!" but pain actually serves a purpose–it alerts us when something is physically wrong, and without that warning serious issues could go undetected. Can you imagine not knowing if your child had a broken bone or had burned himself? It's hard enough to decipher what's wrong when a young child alerts you with cries and screams, but without those cries and screams, you could miss the problem entirely. And that's exactly what little Isaac's parents have to live with everyday. But there is a sort of silver lining to this crazy condition …
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Scientists studying Isaac's condition may be able to use their findings to help people who deal with chronic pain.
Like most children, Isaac–who has a a congenital insensitivity to pain–spent his toddlerhood falling, bumping his head and getting into mischief, but unlike most toddlers, he never complained about it, and never really learned which behaviors to avoid in order to protect himself. His parents explained a slew of incidents including burned and bleeding hands and a fractured pelvis.
"The toddler years were an absolute nightmare," said Isaac's mother, Carrie Brown. "He would just drop to the ground and smack his face on the table. He thought the fall was fun," she said.
With the help of a Facebook support group called The Gift of Pain, the Browns are trying to teach Isaac how to identify possible injuries. They have to teach him what sorts of things might hurt him even if he doesn't feel it, such as being stepped on or getting cut and bleeding. Unfortunately, doctors have not been able to give them much practical advice. However, other parents in The Gift of Pain group who all have children with the same rare disorder, are good at swapping ideas on how to protect their children. Next month, the Browns will even attend "Camp Painless but Hopeful," which is affiliated with the Facebook group, where they will meet other families dealing with the same issue.
At this point, there is not much to be done, but the Browns are working with researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research at Yale University School of Medicine, to figure out what exactly causes Isaac's disorder–a process that could take upwards of eight years. But if scientists are able to figure it out, they may be able to use the information to develop a cure for people who suffer chronic pain, by imitating the effects of the mutation.
In the meantime, Carrie and Randy Brown, will continue to struggle to find the right balance between protecting their son from the pain he can't feel and letting him lead a life that is somewhat normal for a five-year-old–a task I can't even fathom undertaking.
Image via ABC/Carrie Brown
