Synopsis:

The Olivieris are a typical happy family who lives in a country town. Their routine is disturbed when the father, Tony, a successful geologist, is transferred to San Francisco. His wife continues her work in a new post as an English teacher at the city university, and their eight-year-old son Bobby at first seems to settle in to his new school and surroundings. But them come reports that the child is acting strangely. He alternates normal behaviour with destructive moments. Bobby is different at home too. He seems clumsy, confused and goes through varied degrees of depression. Linda puts it down to a sort of “settling in” trauma, but soon realises more is involved when he shows signs of deafness and has an epileptic fit. The family immediately begins an endless round to specialists but none are able to explain bobby’s condition. Finally a neurologist, Dr. Rosemond tells them that Bobby is suffering from a rare fatal illness called Adenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and that there is no know cure. After initial moments of agonising despair, Linda and Tony refuse to accept the doctor’s death verdict. With the help of friends and volunteers they set up a research and computer data centre and begin a desperate race against time and ignorance to find a way to save Bobby.