2 New Zealand brothers die years apart after sip of alcohol due to rare gene mutation

Rare gene mutations could be deadly that even long-term vegans are at risk of cancer and heart ailments if they carry genes that rapidly metabolise plant fatty acids.

In the case of two New Zealand brothers, one sip of alcohol was enough to kill them, although years apart. Their rare gene mutation is the subject of a case study of a major project based in Munich, Germany, reports News.com.au.

The first brother who died was 15 after he drank alcohol 25 years ago at a dinner with neighbours. He died in his sleep. The second brother was 19 when it happened recently. He had one drink to celebrate the birthday of a flatmate. The following day, he did not wake up and was found dead, according to John, the father.

Margaret, the mother says two deaths in the same family for the same cause is traumatising. “I was very concerned how we would cope with dealing with the whole death process again,” she shares.

Even with the death of the first son, the family, from Canterbury, suspected alcohol had something to do with the death of the two young men. Margaret’s suspicion were aroused when even as young children, the two boys suffered from sore chest if given cough syrup which contains alcohol.

According to Hannah Kennedy, a PhD student, the two young men had rare gene mutations that they inherited from their parents who each carried different gene mutations, but the two inherited both mutations. Kennedy then contacted a lab in Munich and found four heart patient families who were diagnosed with the same conditions.

The only piece of good news with this discovery is that the grieving parents are closers to finding the cause behind their sons’ sudden death.