In the movie, Lorenzo's Oil, the true story of Lorenzo Odone and his family's fight to save
his life is vividly prtrayed. The movie examines the ravaging effects of a disorder called
ALD is a rare, genetic disorder characterized by the breakdown or loss of the myelin
sheath surrounding nerve cells in the brain and progressive dysfunction of the adrenal gland.
There are different types of ALD. The type that Lorenzo has is the most severe. It affects only
boys and usually occurs between the ages of 4 and 10.
The movie begins by showing 5 year old Lorenzo in perfect health, running and playing
as other boys his age. Then, he suddenly becomes ill. At first his behavior begins to change.
Lorenzo, who had been a very loving and friendly child, begins to show aggression and
hyperactivity in school. Shortly thereafter, he becomes physically ill.
Lorenzo's diagnosis is very bleak. The doctors explain to his parents, Augusto and
Michaela, that their son has a rare incurable disease that will cause his brain to deteriorate and he
will die within a couple of years. As Lorenzo's father begins to research this disease, he reads a
list of symptoms that Lorenzo would soon face: seizures, loss of muscle tone, stiffness and
contracture deformities, swallowing difficulties and further signs of damage to the brain tissue.
As the disease would progress, symptoms would include paralysis, hearing loss, visual impaired
Augusto and Michaela refuse to accept this. They begin to research and find that there is a
link between certain foods and the disorder that their son has. They immediately begin to limit
his dietary intake of these foods such as peanut butter, spinich, and other foods rich in the
saturated fatty acids (VLCSFA). At first Lorenzo begins to show progress with the level of
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