Unlocking The Fountain

Bryson is a beautiful, happy boy. But a mysterious illness means he can’t walk, talk, or feed himself. Scientists working at the cutting edge of genetics believe they know what’s causing Bryson’s disease — and think it could be reversed. Motivated by the hope for a cure, Bryson’s parents search for the miracle key that could unlock Bryson’s brain. Hosted by Keith McArthur, coming April 2020.

Bryson seems like a perfectly healthy baby. But soon doctors confirm his parents’ worst fears: something is wrong with Bryson’s brain. Despite dozens of tests over nearly a decade, doctors come up empty in their efforts to find a diagnosis.

From violent seizure-like episodes to insensitive comments from strangers, Bryson has a hard life. But after years of searching, doctors finally provide a diagnosis. The news changes everything for Bryson’s parents and provides a possible path to new treatments — or even a cure.

Bryson’s parents explore CRISPR, a new technology with the potential to cure dozens of diseases once thought incurable. But gene editing comes with risks — not just for individual patients, but for the human race.

Bryson’s family travels to meet other GRIN1 patients, including Bryson’s GRIN-twin Olivia. And research on mice offers new hope for finding a cure. But a new illness means that the family now needs two medical miracles.