Close X
Saturday, October 5, 2024
ADVT 
Interesting

Pak's 'Solar Kids': After Sunset, They Are Paralyzed, Normal During Day

Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 May, 2016 12:50 PM
    The two brothers have come to be known as the "solar kids" and their case has mystified Pakistani doctors.
     
    Aged nine and 13, the boys are normal active children during the day. But once the sun goes down, they both lapse into a vegetative state - unable to move or talk.
     
    Javed Akram, a professor of medicine at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, told the press on Thursday that he had no idea what was causing the symptoms.
     
    "We took this case as a challenge. 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 sun goes down," he said, as he visited the pair at his hospital.
     
    Akram said the government was providing free medical care to the siblings, who come from an impoverished family.
     
    The brothers are undergoing extensive medical testing in the capital, Islamabad, and samples of their blood have been sent to overseas specialists for further examination, he said. Researchers are also collecting soil and air samples from the family's home village.
     
     
    Mohammad Hashim, the father of the two brothers, comes from a village near Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province. He and his wife are first cousins and two of their six children died at an early age. Their other two children have not displayed any unusual symptoms.
     
    His simple theory: "I think my sons get energy from sun."
     
    But doctors have already dismissed the idea that sunlight plays a role, noting that the boys can move during the day even when kept in a dark room or during a rainstorm.
     
    During the day, 13-year old Shoaib Ahmed and his brother Abdul Rashid did indeed seem normally active, energetic and cheerful as they emerged from their hospital room on Friday and walked to a nearby canteen to have tea.
     
    "I will become a teacher," Shoaib Ahmed told, while his younger brother said he wants to be an Islamic scholar.

    MORE Interesting ARTICLES

    Large Dog Runs Into Halifax Home And Kills Pomeranian As Pet Owner Looks On

    Large Dog Runs Into Halifax Home And Kills Pomeranian As Pet Owner Looks On
    HALIFAX — A Halifax-area woman says she struggled to save the life of her pet Pomeranian when a much larger dog bounded through the front door of her home, grabbed the tiny dog in its jaws and wouldn't let go.

    Large Dog Runs Into Halifax Home And Kills Pomeranian As Pet Owner Looks On

    Ashley Madison Hack: Not The Wake-Up Call Some Expected, Experts Say

    TORONTO — Far from the wake-up call some expected, the data breach that aired the personal dealings and financial information of Ashley Madison clients has yet to spur concrete changes in web security or the online dating industry.

    Ashley Madison Hack: Not The Wake-Up Call Some Expected, Experts Say

    Finance Professor Created Board Game For His Kids, And Now It's Finding Fans Around The World

    Finance Professor Created Board Game For His Kids, And Now It's Finding Fans Around The World
    "I'm surprised by all of this," said Kisgen, a former Wall Street investment banker who now lives outside Boston. "Frankly, it's been a lot of fun."

    Finance Professor Created Board Game For His Kids, And Now It's Finding Fans Around The World

    Slavery, Child Labour Tied To Shrimp Global Supply Chains, Including Wal-Mart, Red Lobster

    Slavery, Child Labour Tied To Shrimp Global Supply Chains, Including Wal-Mart, Red Lobster
    Poor migrant workers and children are being sold to factories in Thailand and forced to peel shrimp that ends up in global supply chains, including those of Wal-Mart and Red Lobster, the world's largest retailer and the world's largest seafood restaurant chain

    Slavery, Child Labour Tied To Shrimp Global Supply Chains, Including Wal-Mart, Red Lobster

    Japan's Top Court To Rule On Challenge To Law That Requires 1 Surname For Married Couples

    Japan's Top Court To Rule On Challenge To Law That Requires 1 Surname For Married Couples
    A Civil Code that dates from the 19th century says couples must adopt one surname, and women almost always sacrifice theirs.

    Japan's Top Court To Rule On Challenge To Law That Requires 1 Surname For Married Couples

    Radio Stations Hungry For New Christmas Songs But Find Few Enduring Hits

    Radio Stations Hungry For New Christmas Songs But Find Few Enduring Hits
    TORONTO — The sounds of the holiday season are pretty much the same from year to year: "Feliz Navidad," "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "White Christmas" on constant rotation in supermarkets, department stores and coffee shops.

    Radio Stations Hungry For New Christmas Songs But Find Few Enduring Hits