Two children affected with deadly seizures disorder

A 2-year-old boy in Lakeville, Minn. died last year of Alpers' disease, and his 11-month-old sister has been diagnosed with the same rare genetic disorder.Shannon and Rand Olson had two healthy boys and a girl on the way when one son, Drew, began having massive seizures.

Drew, who was 13 months old at the time, eventually lost his sight, and no one knew what was wrong."He would push so hard to get better," Shannon Olson recalled. "He went to therapy after therapy after therapy, trying to get stronger and get his skills back. He never gave up. He was just a little fighter."Nine days before he died, a blood test showed Drew had Alpers' disease, a rare genetic disorder.Drew died on Aug. 22, 2005.

Three weeks later, the entire Olson family was tested. Daughter McKenna tested positive for Alpers' disease; both her parents are silent carriers of the Alpers' gene."We wouldn't have had children (if we knew)," Shannon Olson said. "It's too risky. One out of four? There's no way that I would risk it."McKenna remained healthy until three weeks ago.

She developed the same symptoms as her brother: seizures; the inability to sleep for any length of time; the loss of muscle use."(I'll) spend each day with her I can," Rand Olson said, "not looking ahead to what's going to happen, and try to make the best for her."The Olsons now face the death of a second child."There needs to be more research on these diseases," Shannon Olson said. "Because kids are dying, and not only that, they're suffering."