A Chinese man exemplified the finest aspects of "fatherhood" when he resorted to scientific solutions to create homemade medicine to save his young son suffering from a serious illness. The "South China Morning Post" reported that Zhou Wei, an online shop owner from Kunming in Yunnan province, faced a true tragedy when he was informed that his one-year-old son was diagnosed with Menkes disease, a genetic disorder that disrupts the transport of copper in the body's cells.
This very rare disease affects about one in 100,000 to 200,000 newborns, who often do not live more than three years. After finding out that experimental treatments in the hospital were not helping his son at all, the man was determined to acquire copper histidine, the essential substance for treatment, but accessing it in China was beyond his means, in addition to the impossibility of obtaining it from abroad due to COVID restrictions.
The newspaper reported that Zhou Wei initially approached chemical companies to purchase copper histidine from them, but the prices were exceedingly high, and the process of obtaining approval from official authorities would take years. At that point, the man, who had no background in chemistry, decided to study the subject himself to procure the desired copper histidine at home.
Zhou Wei immersed himself in reading articles from American scientific journals, using special translation software since he did not speak English. He also enrolled in pharmacy courses at several universities, which eventually enabled him to establish a small laboratory in his apartment costing him $3,100, where he ultimately succeeded in manufacturing copper histidine.
He first tested the medication on rabbits, then on himself to ensure its safety, and later injected it into his son, taking him to the hospital for analysis and to mitigate the risk of severe complications. Subsequently, Zhou Wei was also able to produce elisclomol, which can also be used to treat Menkes disease according to some research, and he tested it again on rabbits and himself.
Zhou Wei stated that these two medications did not cure his son but prevented the deterioration of his condition, adding that he hopes advancements in genetics over time will help heal his son.
