Having a sick child is hard enough for any parent. But a family in Newfoundland is learning to stay positive as they care for a son with an incurable illness so rare, there's no one else in Canada who has it.

Lee and Michelle Whalen's five-year-old, Landon, has a condition called FAHN, or fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration. It's a disease that causes iron to accumulate on the parts of the brain that control movement and vision.

Over time, Landon's ability to walk and move will become more and more impaired, and he will develop problems with his vision. Already, he's having trouble with his speech and has started to use a walker.

Doctors have told Landon's parents that a fluke of genetics is what cause the condition.

"It's from a genetic mutation that both of us carry," Michelle told NTV News, referring to herself and her husband. "The chances of that happening are less likely than winning the lotto."

FAHN is part of a larger family of diseases called NBIAs, or neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. There are medications that can help with some of the symptoms, but there is no cure.

"They say the life expectancy is 20s, 30s," Michelle says.

Still, the family is hopeful that medical science will advance in time to help their son.

"We're hoping that he's young and there's some preliminary research happening in his disorder in particular, as well as all NBIA disorders. So we're hoping that something will come about. He's only five, so… You have to have hope," says Michelle.

FAHN is so rare, Landon is one of only three known cases in North America. There are also fewer than 30 cases worldwide. Landon's father Lee takes a philosophical approach to his son's illness, saying they take each day as it comes.

"It is what it is. Until they find a cure, there's not much you can do about it," he says.

With the help of local fundraising, the family has been able to travel to the U.S. and Europe to meet with the few doctors who are specialists in FAHN. The family is also working on starting a charity, hoping that more research will lead to a cure.

"Nobody wants their kid to get sick with anything, let alone something that nobody else has in your country. But I really don't think about that. I just think, 'Is he happy?'" Michelle says.

With a report from NTV’s Meghan McCabe