Australian Story
Cracking the Code
S18 • E38 Oct 21, 2013 30m
The Damiani family's story has been described as a breathtaking example of how medicine can be transformed by the determination of ordinary people.
Four years ago, Stephen and Sally Damiani's baby son Massimo succumbed to a mystery disease. In the space of a few weeks, the toddler lost the ability to eat and crawl. The prognosis was bleak and the cause mystifying.
Stephen Damiani, who has a background in construction economics and risk management, teamed up with a young geneticist to map the family's genome in an attempt to discover the cause of his son's illness.
In the process, his seemingly impossible quest for answers has made a discovery that's astonished the international medical community and has implications for us all.
Four years ago, Stephen and Sally Damiani's baby son Massimo succumbed to a mystery disease. In the space of a few weeks, the toddler lost the ability to eat and crawl. The prognosis was bleak and the cause mystifying.
Stephen Damiani, who has a background in construction economics and risk management, teamed up with a young geneticist to map the family's genome in an attempt to discover the cause of his son's illness.
In the process, his seemingly impossible quest for answers has made a discovery that's astonished the international medical community and has implications for us all.
