A FATHER bought his teenage son a supermarket protein drink thought to have triggered a rare genetic disease that killed him, an inquest heard.

Pushpa Godhania told his son Rohan’s inquest that he purchased the shake in a supermarket to help him build muscle on August 15 2020.

But a rare condition, known as ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, brought on by a spike in protein, caused the 'bright and gentle' 16-year-old to suffer 'irreversible' brain damage and he died at hospital three days later after becoming sick.

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The disease prevents the breakdown of ammonia, causing it to build up to lethal levels in the bloodstream, and can be triggered by a protein load.

A post-mortem examination could not identify OTC as the cause of death because Rohan’s organs were donated for transplant before the schoolboy’s sudden illness was solved, an inquest at Milton Keynes Coroner’s Court in Buckinghamshire previously heard.

At the inquest, lawyers acting for Rohan’s family have questioned whether opportunities were missed to screen him for ammonia prior to his death.

Mr Godhania gave evidence on Tuesday after senior coroner Tom Osborne said that warnings should be added to the widely-available protein drinks – an intervention supported by a senior neurologist who described it as 'potentially life-saving'.

The bereaved father told the inquest: “I purchased it...just to build up muscles.

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“He was quite skinny. We thought that rather than just nagging him, if he built up muscles in his shoulders he would stand a bit taller.”

A statement was read to the inquest on behalf of Mr Godhania and his wife, Hitendra, describing their son as 'bright, gentle, reliable and highly intelligent'.

They said: “Rohan had only just turned 16. We imagined Rohan developing into a wonderful young man.

“Rohan had his entire life ahead of him, so many hopes and so many dreams.

“The loss revibrates out to so many people whose lives Rohan touched

“This world is a darker place with the loss of such a kind and gentle soul.”

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The inquest, originally expected to continue on Wednesday, has been postponed for the coroner to consider legal submissions prior to delivering his findings.

Mr Osborne reassured Rohan’s parents, who were present, that he would not delay the inquest for any longer than necessary and hoped to make his findings of fact before the start of the school summer holidays.