We have all seen, in one way or the other, the power- packed performances of Michael Jackson. Interestingly there were many who were close to the Star who knew that there was no way MJ  could not pull off  the concert at the London 02 arena!

Among the many illnesses plaguing the ailing star was a condition called the alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a debilitating genetic disease that  predisposed the singer to lung and liver malfunctioning.

This A1A deficiency is brought about by a mutation in the SERPINA 1 gene. The normal form of this gene is required to produce the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin. This protein is required to control the activity of the enzyme neutrophil elastase which normally fights infections but which also has the propensity to attack normal cells. Alpha-1 antitrypsin keeps this enzyme in check.

The signs and symptoms of the lung disease brought about  by alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency initially appears around   20 – 50 yrs.

The earliest symptoms include-

• Shortness of breath / decreased ability  to exercise / wheezing.
• Sudden weight loss,
• Recurring respiratory infections,
• Fatigue/ palpitations
• Vision-related complications 

With time, the disease could lead to emphysema  which in turn could completely damage the lungs.

Jackson had to be administered alpha-1 antitrypsin injections each day. His voice was reduced to a mere whisper in recent times.

The arena in London, where he was to have kick- started the concert,  boasted of the best lip synching technology in the world – an arrangement that the trouble- riddled  star heavily depended on. He was forced to go through these ‘performances’ due to his mounting debts.

But Death had it otherwise- it released him from further embarrassment and provided him with much- required respite.

Needless to say, fame and tragedy are two sides of the same coin!

Dr. Reeja Tharu

It’s becoming more and more common – children being diagnosed with mental illnesses. Modern psychiatrists are sympathetic to the harassed parents of these children. Russell Barkley, the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder expert, says it’s nobody’s fault when a child has a disorder. It is not due to bad parenting. He advises parents to go to a doctor, and says psychotropic medication is often very effective.

But good as it sounds if you are such a parent, I don’t know if it really helps us.

One, long-term outcomes with psychotropic drugs are simply not known now. How will your child do on twenty years of methylphenidate (Ritalin, for hyperactivity) or risperidone (Risperdal, for bipolar disorder)? To tell the truth, nobody knows yet.

Two, all children respond to respect, sympathy, and good teaching. Yes, it makes us feel guilty and terrible when someone says this, and doing more seems physically impossible sometimes. Take Maria Montessori - if you are a parent of a problem child, her work will be difficult to read. She accuses parents and teachers and is totally sympathetic to children.

But her methods work. Not many people know that she was a psychiatric doctor who, unlike most of her colleagues, believed that ‘uneducable’ children could be taught. Her ‘defective’ eight-year olds from a special school, taught by Montessori herself, succeeded in passing the state examination for normal children, and in fact did rather well.

For problem children, having just one adult (parent, grandparent, teacher) who believes in them can turn their lives around. Drugs cannot do that.

Susan Vinodh Pandian

Read more about children’s disorders here:

1. Financial crises can affect children’s mental health

2. Mental disorders among child soldiers

3. Children of arrested illegal aliens develop mental illnesses

4. History of child abuse in adults with depression