A British boy is battling a genetic disorder that no one else in the world has, and it caused one of his kidneys to grow inside his leg, his doctors say.
A British boy is battling a genetic disorder that no one else in the world has, and it caused one of his kidneys to grow inside his leg, his doctors say.
Hamish Robinson, 10, is believed to be the only person on the planet who is missing a chromosome named 7p22.1, according to SWNS. It is a condition that has no name, and so physicians refer to it simply as the "Hamish syndrome."
The condition resulted in a structural malformation that left a fully functioning kidney at the top of his right thigh. Doctors have not removed it for now because it hasn't caused any health problems.
"To have an ectopic kidney (when the organ is not in the right place) is extremely rare and occurs in about one in every 900 people," Dr. Andrew Ordon of "The Doctors" told InsideEdition.com. "The chances of a kidney ending up in someone’s leg are practically, if not completely, unheard of until now."
Hamish's medical problems also include severe asthma, spinal problems, learning difficulties and hearing loss. He needs a voice computer to speak. His other kidney is in the correct location and functions normally.
"His condition is beyond rare," said his mother, Kay. "It's so hard knowing his condition is unique, because no one knows what to expect."
Hamish's geneticist has written a medical paper about the boy, "but there's no knowing what's going to happen," his mom said.
He was born nearly six weeks prematurely and weighed just 2 pounds. He was sent home with his single mom after three weeks. She began to notice Hamish wasn't developing at the same rate as other babies. At 17 months, he wasn't talking. "He was certainly not speaking at all, then one day when he was 17 months old, he said, 'Momma,' and then I waited another six years to hear anything else," Kay said.
It was a geneticist who determined Hamish's chromosome disorder. Since then, his physicians have struggled to find information about his health because he is thought to be the only one to have the condition.
Hamish does not let his medical problems define him. He has performed in pantomime groups and goes to a regular school, though he needs help with reading and writing. He takes karate lessons and loves the trampoline.
"He just takes it all in his stride," his mom said. "I don't know how he does it. Being with him has inspired me. He's been the biggest blessing of my life."
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