A resident of Spain, Antonio Lamelas, told El Periodico De España how a genetic disease—fatal familial insomnia—claimed the lives of 35 of his relatives.

According to Lamelas, his son Vicente also suffered from the condition. The disease progressed rapidly, and in the end, he could not be saved. Due to lack of sleep, Vicente first lost the ability to step on one leg, and then lost the ability to swallow and control his body. As a result, the insomnia destroyed his brain.

Neurologist Celia García Malo told the publication that fatal familial insomnia is not just a sleep disorder, but a complete inability to fall asleep caused by dysfunction of the thalamus. The disease typically appears between the ages of 30 and 60 and can be fatal within a few months.