04/27/2026
is coming up, so we’ll be posting facts all this week. What is Nonketotic Hyperglycaemia (NKH)? It’s a terminal neurometabolic disorder. Something no parent wishes to hear about, or wish their child had. NKH is a rare disorder which affects the brain and central nervous system. Children with NKH are not able to process glycine (an amino acid).
Children with NKH have a ‘Glycine Cleavage System’ (GCS) that does not work properly. This stops them from being able to process glycine correctly, causing a toxic level of glycine and a low supply of one-carbon folate molecules.
Glycine is important for our bodies in several ways. It is a chemical messenger, which means that it carries messages between the nerve cells in the body and the brain. Chemical messengers help regulation of bodily functions - including breathing, digestion and moving muscles - by creating or stopping an electric signal. Glycine also contributes to other molecules that are used in our metabolism - in particular, a one folate carbon molecule.
Toxic levels of glycine in the brain and central nervous cause profound disability, an have knock on effects across the whole body. NKH is a brutal disorder.
May 2nd is NKH Awareness Day - we’re asking instead of your daily flat white, please swap your coffee today for a donation towards NKH Research. Please. Please donate. £3. £5. £15. Whatever you are able.
Donate now: justgiving.com/page/nkhawarenessday2026
