niemen pick type c. it has a nickname that says it all.ldhood alzheimer's. >> is that a fair comparison? >> yes. it's how the kids look. they appear to be developing normally, develop speech, they walk, they talk, they have good quality lives, and then they start losing those abilities. >> niemen pick is caused by a faulty gene that helps the body process cholesterol. cholesterol is made and used by nearly every cell in the body. in a patient with niemen pick the cholesterol accumulates, especially in nerve cells, until it reaches levels that are toxic. >> it causes abnormal tis in movement and in thinking and swallowing. and children usually die in their mid-teens. >> and there is no known treatment. it is the worst news imaginable. a generation ago, a diagnosis like this was a pretty lonely thing. but by the time the hempills got the news about ad addy and cassie there were support groups popping up and research groups found available with the touch of a key stroke. >> my computer wouldn't allow me to search. so i found this disc. >> chr