CMNH: Boy With Medical Mystery Seeks Treatment in Austin

Austin, TX - A boy with a medical mystery has been getting treatment in Austin.

For his entire life, help has been elusive -- until now.

Freddy Montellano is 17 years old. He can't speak, walk or use his arms, but his mother know just what he's thinking.

"There's a link between us, of course, but we communicate by smiling, crying, yelling and eye contact," said Ivonne Morales, Freddy's mother.

His ailment has no clear diagnosis. Freddy has a combination of several diseases.

When he was born, Ivonne says he seemed normal, except he often choked. After three months, she knew something was wrong and it got worse over time. His limbs flailed uncontrollably and his jaw moved on its own, mutilating his mouth. The involuntary movements led to Freddy hurting himself with no power to stop it.

Ivonne said she was in denial.

"Af first, you always deny, right? You think everything is going to be OK, but we realized this was something different."

Ivonne learned to accept it and resolved to find answers. She visited doctors, trying to get a clear diagnosis and a way to help her son.

Ivonne tried everything.

"It was hard. It was terrible. It was horrible. We even looked for supernatural health," she said.

Nothing worked until she found progress in Austin.

Doctor Robert Buchanan is a neurosurgeon for the Seton Family of Hospitals and a researcher for the University of Texas.

He suggested using new technology that sends electricity into Freddy's brain to relax his muscles and reduce the spasms, called deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Dr. Buchanan implanted a tiny wire deep inside Freddy's brain. The wire connects to ta small box embedded in his skin and transmits a constant current of electricity into the brain.

Dr. Buchanan says it worked.

"What's great is, you can re-train and kind of force and move the brain to do things. That's what this electrical activity is doing," he said.

He expected Freddy's condition to improve with DBS until September 2011, at which point the progress may plateau.

Ivonne said her family is finally experiencing stability, something they've been looking for. She hopes Fredd will continue to improve.

"Freddy's a very smart boy and I'm sure he has a lot to tell us," she said.

As Ivonne said those last words, Freddy started to groan aloud, as if to agree.