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Mum Fears All Her Children Could Die Before 35 After Genetic Test Results Were Missed

Friday, May 22, 2026 genetics friedreichsataxia autism diagnosis childhood nhs genetictesting caregiving raredisease family

Sarah Bingham, a 39-year-old mother from Weston-super-Mare, is grappling with the devastating news that her 14-year-old son Caleb has been diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare and progressive genetic condition that could significantly shorten his life expectancy, potentially to before the age of 35. The diagnosis came years after a critical genetic test result revealing a chromosome seven deletion was missed, leaving Sarah unaware of the risks for Caleb and her other children.