Matthew, 39, and Michael, 42, Clark are two adult men who have a terminal form of a rare genetic disorder called leukodystrophy that attacks the Myelin in the nervous system, spinal cord, and brain. While they physically look like two grown me, although their physical health is deteriorating, their emotional and mental states have deteriorated to that of a toddler.
Some forms of the disorder may be curable if discovered in the earliest stages and not cause emotional regression, but the brothers are unlikely to be cured. Because the brothers live in the United Kingdom, where there is no comparable organization with genetic diseases like that of the United States’ National Institute of Health, it is difficult for them to receive aid.
When they were first diagnosed, the Clark brothers had the mental age of a 10 year old child. However, their mental states have deteriorated to that of a 7 year old child. The Clark brothers have the interest and personalities of toddlers, being interested in balloons, train tracks, Monopoly, and Mr. Potato Head.
Before they were both diagnosed, both lived normal lives as adults, Michael serving in the Royal Air Force and later becoming a cabinet maker while Matthew worked in a factory and was raising a teenage daughter. However, after their diagnosis, they couldn’t function as they should have been able to and so their parents moved back from Spain to take care of them.
As of right now, the Clark brothers’ condition has been worsening, as with each day, they seem to lose more of their functions. They can no longer eat with a knife and fork, and even have difficulty using a fork to eat. Furthermore, Michael is now confined to a wheelchair and there is no knowing when Matthew will lose his ability to walk as well.
Their story has been reported in the British Press and a British documentary titled “The Curious Case of the Clark Brothers” follows this family’s hardships and will begin airing in the UK.
The case of the Clark brothers is not unique. According to Dr. William Kintner, President of the United Leukodystrophy Foundation, millions of similar cases are apparent just in the United States. Although there is no cure for this condition right now, research of the type of this disorder are being conducted and will hopefully lead to a treatment.
