Dear All, I am hoping someone can help me with a question that has been troubling me for a very long time. I am a male, 34 years. I had three sisters and all three developed a form of neuromuscular degenerative disease impacting motor function, ability to walk, dexterity with hands and general cognitive impairment, psychosis and schizophrenia. Two of them have already passed away in their early 30's after being bed ridden for long periods of time. With the first two, the doctors just said its muscular dystrophy. But the last doctor we consulted (for the third one) said that it is spastic familial paraplegia after doing tests.
I have one brother, 30 and he is fine. Both my parents and myself are fine. My grandparents on both sides did not have any such symptoms and died of old age. My parents are from the same extended family and that has been always something we suspected could have caused this.
One of my mother's sister's son had pretty much the same symptoms and he has also passed away. But his other brother and two sisters are fine. Their parents are not related.
No one on my dad's side is known to have any such symptoms.
I want to know and I am really hoping some kinds souls can help us here - are there any chances that my kids or my brother's kids could have the same issue. I know that there is a remote chance that this could happen to anyone, but what are the genetic implications of this? We are both determined to marry people as far removed as possible from our family trees but could there be a chance that the same tragedy could strike our kids? Could the girls be at more risk than boys?
Will really appreciate some thoughts on this
Thanks