Surrey boy with rare disease gets B.C.-McGill gene therapy partnership
Three-year-old Gurmoh Gill is Canada's only known case of spastic paraplegia type 4. The province is backing a treatment pathway with two universities.
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A three-year-old Surrey boy is Canada's only known case of spastic paraplegia type 4 — a rare genetic disease causing progressive muscle stiffness, speech difficulties, and leg weakness. Gurmoh Gill's parents, Stalin and Navpreet, raised over $2.7 million in five months, including a walk from downtown Vancouver to the legislature in Victoria, after learning no treatment pathway existed.
On Saturday, the B.C. Ministry of Health announced a partnership between the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Children's Hospital, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute to establish what it calls the first-of-its-kind diagnosis-to-therapy pathway in the province for rare genetic diseases. The family first contacted the ministry in February; they met with then-Minister Josie Osborne on May 25. Since then, Gurmoh's mobility has declined — stairs that were manageable at first contact are now harder to climb.
Minister Ravi Kahlon said the partnership aims to help families "access potential treatment opportunities sooner." The Gills said they are "deeply grateful" to the government, clinicians and researchers. Gurmoh's stated aspiration: becoming a firefighter. He plays with a toy truck while wearing a fire hat.
Gene therapy for spastic paraplegia type 4 is still experimental. What the research timeline looks like and when it might become available to Gurmoh remain unanswered.
When might gene therapy be ready for human trials?
Will Gurmoh Gill be eligible to participate in clinical trials once they begin?
How many other Canadian families face rare genetic diseases with no treatment pathway?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
At a glance
What is Gurmoh Gill's condition?
Gurmoh Gill, a three-year-old from Surrey, has spastic paraplegia type 4, a rare genetic disease that causes progressive muscle stiffness, speech difficulties, and leg weakness. He is Canada's only known case of this condition.
What partnership did B.C. announce on Saturday, September 19, 2026?
The B.C. Ministry of Health announced a partnership between the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Children's Hospital, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute to create the first diagnosis-to-therapy pathway in the province for rare genetic diseases.
How much money did Gurmoh's family raise for treatment?
Gurmoh's parents, Stalin and Navpreet Gill, raised over $2.7 million in five months, including through a walk from downtown Vancouver to the legislature in Victoria.
