At 19, Daryle Koltay cannot do things normally or live like other boys his age, he has a condition where babies are born with small heads and his family thinks it
was caused by Zika virus from mosquito bites in pregnancy.He is unable to express emotion, a typical teenage trait some might argue, but for Daryle his adolescence is not to blame.
He struggles with balance and is easily disorientated, is unable to dress himself, cannot read or write and requires round-the-clock care.
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Daryle was born with the rare birth defect microcephaly – a condition that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads, and development problems. Growing up, few people in Daryle’s world will have been aware of the condition, which remains incurable.
But, in recent months the world’s eyes have been opened to the serious illness, after growing concerns it could be caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
Since the virus emerged in South America in 2014, scientists in Brazil in particular, noted a surge in the number of babies being born with microcephaly.
Such is the weight of concern over the, as yet unproven link, the World Health Organisation was moved to declare the Zika outbreak ravaging the Americas, an international public health emergency.
This is scary. May God see him through amen.