I am always surprised and concerned when I read a novel by a best-selling author and find major medical errors. I would assume that any author would do research before having a character in a novel be disabled because of a medical problem. Don't these authors do any research? The Internet is a fairly reliable source of information, but some of it is outdated or incorrect. It would be very easy for an author to contact an expert who is knowledgeable about a particular disorder. I have found that the real experts are very generous about giving information.
When I was in private pediatric practice I had an expert I could contact about snake bites, another about dog bites and another about infectious diseases. They were always pleasant and glad to help. They made a real difference in my ability to care for children who had unusual or dangerous disorders.
In a novel I started reading recently, the author describes a major character as having multiple sclerosis. Her information is totally outdated and scary for someone who has the disorder or has a friend or relative with multiple sclerosis. Now a monthly intravenous injection is given and the patients can work full-time, travel and exercise. In the book I started reading, the character was almost bed-ridden and on her way to dying. That is in a book recently published.
In a book I read some time ago, a child was in a wheelchair at age eight because of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Having directed 6 neuromuscular programs and seen hundreds of youths with the disorder I was outraged. With proper medication, physical therapy, and orthopedic surgery at the appropriate times, I kept boys walking into their teens.