Two-year-old Ethan Gosden suffers from an extremely rare brain disease which causes him to have multiple seizures every hour.
The toddler, from Currimundi in Queensland, was diagnosed with Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia when he was born – a disease so rare only three other males in the world suffer from it.
As a result of the brain disease, Ethan will often laugh and cry while having a seizure.
Two-year-old Ethan Gosden suffers from an extremely rare brain disease which causes him to have multiple seizures every hour
The toddler, from Currimundi in Queensland, was diagnosed with Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia when he was born
The condition affects brain neurons, causing them to not migrate properly during the early development of the fetal brain.
For Ethan, this means he must spend eight hours a day strapped to a specialised chair and fed through a tube going directly to his stomach.
A fundraiser has recently been set up for the family by a close friend, as Ethan has now outgrown his specialised chair.
Ken Malin organised the fundraiser to raise money to buy a new chair, which is set to cost the family $10,000.
Ethan must spend eight hours a day strapped to a specialised chair and fed through a tube going directly to his stomach
Kirsty Bateup, the toddler’s mother, (pictured with Ethan as a six-month-old) previously told Daily Mail Australia she knew something was wrong with her son when he was born
Ethan is one of four children and Ms Bateup confessed she struggled to explain to her other children the disease their baby brother suffered from
‘Ethan’s little body will be properly supported while he feeds, interacts, sleeps and he can be transported outdoors,’ Mr Malin wrote.
The two-year-old ‘has to be kept upright or at no more than a 45 deg angle so he does not aspirate (choke) on his food’, the fundraising page states.
‘This chair is vital to assist in Ethan’s development and quality of life. It really needs to be purchased as soon as possible.
Kirsty Bateup, the toddler’s mother, previously told Daily Mail Australia she knew something was wrong with her son when he was born.
Ethan spent most of his young life in hospital after being born, including his first Christmas
The family are now raising funds to buy Ethan, now two, a new specialied feeding chair, estimated to cost $10,000
‘Ethan is my fourth child, and lots of the doctors and midwives didn’t take me seriously at first, as they thought Ethan was just gurgling rather than seizing,’ Ms Bateup said.
‘I’m an experienced mum and I knew it wasn’t normal.’
The mum-of-four said she has ‘good and bad days’, but is staying positive.
‘I have good days and bad days, but it’s hard. Really hard. I haven’t been able to have the conversation with my other kids about Ethan yet. I don’t know how to,’ Ms Bateup said when the toddler was six-months-old.