Young boy's rare side effects caused by Tourette Syndrome
Like a lot of middle aged men I get up once or twice a night for a quick visit to the bathroom.
It's annoying, particularly when I can't fall asleep again resulting in a grumpy Brady the next day.
But then I met eight year old Noah Wallace.
Rani wants more people to be aware about her son Noah Wallace's condition. A Current Affair
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Noah gets up around 25 times a night to go to the toilet.
Taking in the daylight hours, he has around 50 trips a day to the bathroom.
As a result the little fella is exhausted in the morning and embarrassed during the day at school or while trying to play sport.
Noah Wallace has around 50 trips a day to the bathroom which is a symptom of his condition. A Current Affair
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Noah has a rare side effect of Tourette Syndrome, the condition most commonly known to cause sufferers to slap or hit themselves and use foul language.
Noah doesn't have these common symptoms but does have several class Tourette "tics" such as involuntary head movement and constant coughing and throat clearing.
But the 50 trips a day to do number ones is not a typical symptom.
Noah Wallace's favourite sport, basketball, helps with his symptoms. A Current Affair
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"He doesn't need to go, he feels the urge to go," his mum Rani said.
"Sometimes it's really annoying," Noah said.
"Particularly when I go on car trips or to the movies."
There is medication for Tourette Syndrome but it doesn't work for all sufferers and unfortunately Noah is one of them.
Constant coughing and throat clearing is another symptom of Tourette Syndrome for Noah Wallace. A Current Affair
"We got the medication" Rani said.
"And Noah was excited, saying he couldn't wait for it to take it all away, but sadly it didn't work."
Right now there is no cure for Tourette Syndrome but clinicians are working on other therapies with this eight year old.
That's where Daisy the cat comes in.
Noah Wallace with Daisy the cat. A Current Affair
For some reason Daisy calms Noah and he can spend hours playing with her and not think about the bathroom once.
His favourite sport, basketball, is another thing that keeps his mind off going to the toilet.
But Noah can't play with his cat or play basketball all day and night.
So Rani has spoken out so Noah's friends and even strangers understand what is going on with her little boy.
"I would like people to be aware of him and not just adults but children as well"
In the meantime he has Daisy, who is doing something the tablets couldn't do.
And if you need advice on Tourette's syndrome, there are support groups out there. For details, visit: https://tourette.org.au/about-tsaa/
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