Looking at statistics about various diseases, it makes me wonder whether our generation is more prone to disease due to our fast paced lifestyle than previous generations, or is it simply that today we freely talk about illness that was once frowned upon and accurate diagnosis methods have come a long way. A huge factor that also comes into play is today’s technology, making the world a much smaller place. Computers, e-mail, Internet all at our disposal, are connecting hospitals, R&D, doctors, patients and caregivers from all around the globe, thereby sharing information and statistics. I was looking at our family tree that was made some years ago; using many sheets of A4 paper cello taped together resembling a paper patchwork quilt. Whilst looking at this faded dishevelled map of our family, I suspect many of my ancestors had Gaucher, but were never diagnosed back in those days when little was known about this rare disease. Keeping records of family medical history is important and can possibly help future generations. Thankfully today, most information is kept on computers making it easy to keep and retrieve when necessary.
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