A boy of 10 who was left paralyzed by an illness so rare that it has been named after him is recovering after taking vitamin tablets.

Timothy Bingham suffers from Bingham Syndrome, a condition that has left him unable to move his limbs. He communicates by blinking.

For the past five years, since Timothy was struck down by flu-like attacks, lost his appetite, and collapsed, his parents have sought a cure.

Now, specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London have discovered that Timothy lacks a vitamin that protects his nervous system.

Since taking three amino acid l-serine tablets a day, he has managed to lift up his head and walk a few steps with support. He has also begun to move his toes, raising hopes that he might be able to walk to school and play with friends.

His mother, Kate Bingham, 40, said: “We do not know whether this will be a cure, but we’re keeping everything crossed that this is.”

Mrs. Bingham, a mother of three who lives with her husband Richard, 42, an electronics engineer, in Cheltenham, said her son had been an active child who was walking at nine months. After becoming ill at the age of 2, he reverted to crawling.

Following further attacks, specialists thought he was suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, where the immune system attacks the nervous system. Since this could not be confirmed, Timothy’s condition was named Bingham Syndrome.

Timothy was referred to Peter Clayton of the metabolic department at Great Ormond Street, and Mr. Clayton decided vitamin deficiency might be the problem.

The boy produced only small amounts of l-serine, stopping altogether when he ate less during illness. L-serine is an amino acid found in protein and helps impulses pass clearly through the nervous system.