A BOY is battling dementia aged just three.
Joey Walton has lost all the skills he had developed, such as the ability to walk and talk.
Mum Katie said: “When he suddenly stopped making progress, I contacted the health visitor.
“In the following two months, his legs started to bend and his feet began to turn outwards.
“When we saw the physiotherapist, Joey had lost the ability to sit up too, so she knew something was wrong.”
Joey was diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) — a rare genetic condition that causes fatty substances to build up in the brain, spinal cord, nerves and organs.
In turn it causes the loss of physical and mental skills — and, sadly, Joey is unlikely to reach age seven.
Katie, 35, of Wakefield, West Yorks, was “devastated” by the diagnosis and said Joey has “had a big decline in the last 12 months”.
But she and Joey’s dad Liam Roebuck are trying to make the most of the time their son has left.
She added: “We’ve been on day trips out and he especially loved seeing the Gruffalo in Blackpool.”
She is also supporting a campaign calling for MLD screening at birth and said: “If it’s picked up early, treatment is available.
“It’s too late for Joey, but if we can stop more families going through this agony, it’s worth it.”
