News / Health & Wellness
Lorenzo Odone, Inspiration Behind Film “Lorenzo’s Oil,” Dies at 30
Lorenzo Odone, the man who defied medical experts by living more than two decades longer than expected, passed away on Friday at the age of 30.
Odone had recently come down with aspiration pneumonia after getting food stuck in his lungs. On Friday he began bleeding heavily and past away before an ambulance could arrive. He had celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday.
Odone was diagnosed with ALD, a degenerative disorder that causes the neurological system to break down, at the age of six and given no more than two years to live.
Despite having no medical background Odon’e parents, Michaela and Augusto, developed a treatment for their son mixing olive and rapeseed oils that extended Lorenzo’s life well beyond doctors predictions.
The story was told in the 1992 movie “Lorenzo’s Oil” which starred Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte as Lorenzo’s parents. Sarandon was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance and brought the inspirational story to the mainstream.
Augusto Odone patented the treatment administered to his son and in 2005 a study proved that the method could prevent the onset of symptoms, including seizures and ataxia, for most boys who were diagnosed with the disorder.
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