In 2015, 12-year-old Talia Duff, a sixth-grade student at Ipswich Middle School who has Down Syndrome, was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease, Type 4J (CMT4J). CMT4J, similar to ALS in its ability to weaken muscle function, is a rare disease (there are only 22 people in the world who have been diagnosed) and one that there is currently no known cure for. But strong-willed Talia, along with her parents Jocelyn and John Duff, refused to give up. According to curecmt4j.org, the Duff family visited Vanderbilt University and met with Dr. Jun Li, who informed the family that there is a possible cure but that it would take eight to
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