Kent boy with rare condition baffles doctors

A boy has baffled doctors worldwide after being left unable to walk and talk due to a rare condition with no obvious cause.

Jude Keil, 10, from Bobbing in Kent was first taken to Medway Maritime Hospital in February last year with worsening shortness of breath.

He is now in a wheelchair, unable to stand on his feet or move his arms or head, but his brain is unaffected.

His family say doctors around the world have been unable to identify the cause.

Jude was diagnosed with an unknown form of motor polyneuropathy, a general term used to describe diseases which affect the nervous system.

His father Peter Keil said: “Pretty much every neurologist in London – if not the UK – knows about Jude’s case

“There are small glimmers of hope, but we can’t say it’s getting better because we just don’t know.”

His test results have been shared with doctors around the world, including in Spain, Germany and the United States.

The family first noticed Jude was suffering with shortness of breath while on holiday in Morocco in September 2022.

He was tested for asthma and breathing problems after returning home, before being referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT). He also had an endoscopy and further inconclusive blood tests.

Jude was rushed to A&E after choking on some crisps in February 2023, and shortly afterwards an ENT specialist found a problem with Jude’s epiglottis, which stops food going down the windpipe into the lungs, and he was kept in overnight for observation.

The next morning he fell unconscious and was transferred to the Evalina Children’s Hospital in London in an induced coma, spending more than 300 days in their care.

His parents are afraid Jude’s condition could progress or that his two-year-old sister, Elodie, may also be affected.

“300 plus days in hospital and they still don’t know what it is, and they have literally tried everything,” Peter said.

Jude left the Evelina in December and spent four nights back at the Medway Maritime Hospital before returning home for Christmas.

Despite his physical condition, Jude retains his mental capacity and has been able to continue studying with the help of an eye gaze tablet, where he can use his eyes to scroll instead of his hands.

“He can still roll his eyes – he gives you the best eye rolls in the business,” said Peter.

“It’s wonderful because we know it’s still Jude inside. We want to make sure that he lives rather than just exists.”

The family have launched a fundraiser, which has already raised £14,449, to help pay for specialist equipment including a stair-climbing chair and adapted vehicle.