The good and bad thing about medicine is that it’s an evolving art form. Every day researchers are finding new things to examine and discuss and cure.
The upsides to this is that with each passing day we gain a better understanding of our world and how it functions. On the other hand, those with rare diseases and disorders struggle to find cure for their conditions.
Like the case of Pakistani brothers Abdul Rasheed, 9, and Soaib Ahmed, 13.
Theirs is so bizarre that doctors are at a loss for what to do.
“Each night [they] suddenly become unable to talk, move, eat or drink,” said a Yahoo! report. “After the sun goes down, they lie in a vegetative state. During the day, they are normal, playful boys.”
The boys are staying at Inslamabad where the doctors are studying their mystifying condition.
“We took this as a challenge,” said Javed Akram, a medicine professor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, according to The Associated Press.
“Our doctors are doing medical tests to determine why these kids remain active in the day but cannot open their eyes, why they cannot talk or eat when the sun goes down.”
Photo credit: Yahoo!
Meanwhile the Pakistani government currently provides free medical care to the brothers.
To shed some light into the condition, soil and air samples from the boys’ neighborhood in Quetta have been gathered.
Blood samples have also been collected and will be sent overseas to be examined by specialists.
Their father, Mohammad Hashim, offered a simple explanation for the boys’ condition.
“I think my sons get energy from the sun,” he said.
“Doctors don’t think sunlight has anything to do with the brothers’ ailment. They moved around fine during the day even if they are in a dark room,” said the Yahoo! report.
“The boys seemed cheerful and active during a recent daytime trip to a canteen for tea. Shoaib Ahmed told The AP he wants to be a teacher when he grows up. His younger brother said he wants to become an Islamic scholar.”
Although no official diagnosis has been made, a few people believed that the boys suffer from a rare case of sleep paralysis.
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them with us!
