Rare Genetic Disorder

This is Caven Cornell, who was born August 21st, 2007 in Corvallis, OR. He has a very rare condition called Lissencephaly, which when translated means “Smooth Brain”. During the development of his brain, the frontal lobe folds never formed, leaving him with little to no motor control. He has a gastrostomy tube which he is getting fed dinner through while sleeping here. He and his family came to dinner at my house and it was his turn to eat. Currently there is no treatment for Lissencephaly, as it is a physical disorder and there is no way to make the brain reform itself. The average life expectancy, depending upon how badly the brain is deformed, is about two years. There is ongoing research for prevention and so far scientists have been able to determine the genes that are responsible for causing the malformation of the brain.