ESCANABA -- Right now, little seven-year-old Isaac looks just like any other kid getting a standard check-up. But he's not. He has the hereditary disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which means his life expectancy is about 25 years.
“It's kind of hard to think about,” said his mom, Tina Deiter. “So I try not to think about it that much right now."
His muscles are gradually being replaced with scar tissue.
“He will be mobile for a few more years,” explains OSF pediatrician, Dr. Raghu Kasetty. “Once they're 10 or 11 years old, they'll need some type of assistance for them to walk from place to place."
Dr. Kasetty said that an early diagnosis is very important. Some immediate indicators may be unexplained liver problems or delayed motor skills, although the physical symptoms may not appear until the child is five years old.
Isaac proudly showed me his leg braces, which help him stay balanced.
But ultimately, there's no cure for this disease.
“Right now, we don't have a good treatment,” Dr. Kasetty said. “Hopefully we'll have some type of gene therapy in the future which can help these kids."
Until then, Isaac’s mom, Tina, is determined to stay strong for her family. But sometimes it's difficult for Isaac’s older brother, Matthew.
“You have to treat both your kids the same, too,” Tina said. “But it makes it hard because the older one sometimes is like, 'Oh, you're doing so much with Isaac.' But I try to explain to him that Isaac needs the help."
Tina said she's trying to focus on the present and not think too much about later on. And just like any mother, she wants her son to do well in school and graduate.
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