Post by Adriana Velez
It almost sounds like a cruel joke: The toddler who won't stop laughing and smiling. Except that 2-year-old Elliot Eland can't stop laughing and smiling. And he will never learn to speak. Elliot has a rare condition called Angelman syndrome. He not only cannot learn to speak, he has numerous other severe learning difficulties and he only sleeps four hours a night. And there are other ways this condition affects the whole family. On one hand, Elliot's mother, Gale, says his happiness is contagious and brightens everyone's moods. “But it can be upsetting if his brother Alex cries after he’s hurt while playing. Elliot just laughs and Alex, who is three years older, doesn't understand why.” For Gale, her son's condition has made her think about what's most important for her child.![]()
It almost sounds like a cruel joke: The toddler who won't stop laughing and smiling. Except that 2-year-old Elliot Eland can't stop laughing and smiling. And he will never learn to speak. Elliot has a rare condition called Angelman syndrome. He not only cannot learn to speak, he has numerous other severe learning difficulties and he only sleeps four hours a night. And there are other ways this condition affects the whole family. On one hand, Elliot's mother, Gale, says his happiness is contagious and brightens everyone's moods. “But it can be upsetting if his brother Alex cries after he’s hurt while playing. Elliot just laughs and Alex, who is three years older, doesn't understand why.” For Gale, her son's condition has made her think about what's most important for her child.