It’s a sunny afternoon in Auckland as mother-of-two Jane Callaghan sits on the edge of daughter Alex’s bed, brushing hair off her sleeping face. Any sign of daylight is shut out of the teen’s bedroom, where she lies in a coma-like state.
Anyone who didn’t know that Alex, 16, has Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) – or “Sleeping Beauty syndrome” – would find it a worrying sight. She doesn’t flinch and is unable to wake, despite her mother’s attempts to tap, prod, wriggle and shake her into consciousness.
“It’s a long process to try to wake her and I only do it if I need to,” Jane says, moving her daughter’s arms in circles above her head, before they flop back down. “She’ll eventually wake, but it can take an hour. Then she’ll usually be groggy, headachy and like a zombie.”
Alex was 11 when she first showed symptoms of KLS, an extremely rare condition that causes excessive bouts of sleep and behaviour changes. She’s now in her longest episode so far and has been sleeping for the past 14 months, often waking for only a few hours each day.
“For a while, she was only awake from about 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm, but since trying a new drug, she’s been waking up earlier,” her mother tells. “When she wakes, she isn’t overly hungry, but within about five minutes, she’s starving. Excessive hunger is one symptom of KLS.”
ãã®èšäºã¯ Womanâs Day Magazine NZ ã® September 28, 2020 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã8,500 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Womanâs Day Magazine NZ ã® September 28, 2020 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã8,500 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
LIVING WITH LONG COVID
Whether you or someone close to you is suffering, the support you get will make all the difference
WENTWORTH STAR LEAH 'I FELT SO STRONG!'
The Aussie acting legend talks love, leeches, lifting weights and her new series High Country
TV STAR SAMUEL 'NO ONE GOES ON MAFS FOR LOVE'
The skincare entrepreneur has some advice for the new contestants
Khristian's RECIPE FOR LOVE
This contestant had to choose between his partner and the MasterChef kitchen
A YEAR WITHOUT JOCK 'WE WERE TWO HALVES'
It's been 12 months of milestones and missing the beloved MasterChef Australia judge
HUGH'S KIDS TELL 'WE'LL LOOK AFTER YOU, DAD'
While the actor struggles to find his feet after his divorce, Ava and Oscar are as worried as his fans
CAM'S BODY IMAGE BATTLE 'IT'S OK NOT TO HAVE ABS!
After years of being bullied when he was younger, the CTI star wants to help empower others
HOME AND AWAY CAST DIVIDED OVER NEW ROMANCE
Ada and James' love life is the talk of the town - and Summer Bay!
THE MOMENT CHARLES MADE ZARA A PRINCESS?!
The King is on a mission to give his niece a leg-up in the monarchy
BRAD & INES' ROMANCE HEATS UP!
Life was a beach for Brad Pitt and his girlfriend Ines de Ramon as they enjoyed a romantic stroll along the waterfront in Santa Barbara last week.