Jake Davis is full of life and just like any other toddler, he's busy and playful and wants to socialize with other kids.

But the 22-month-old is not able to meet other friends at the park for playdates because he has an extremely rare genetic condition where he cannot be exposed to sunlight. 

He was born with ERCC1 deficiency, a condition that doesn't allow the body to repair itself. 

"Jacob is the ninth case in world medical history of this condition. When we say world medical history, it's of the current population and deceased population going back to the 1940s, so it counts for about 29 billion people. And he's the first case in Canada." said his mother, Ashley Gain-Davis.

She said he presented some puzzling symptoms when he was born, and doctors started genetic testing when he was just four weeks old. They exhausted all of the genetic testing efforts in North America and needed to continue more specialized tests in Finland. 

"He has vision failure and was born with cataracts, and he has some hearing impairments. He was born in liver failure and he was born with his kidneys calcified. He has extreme reflux which prevents his body from absorbing and retaining nutrients which prevents him from being able to grow." said Gain-Davis.

She said he is small for his age, weighing just 18 lbs. 

Jake Davis

On top of his list of health conditions, Jake cannot be exposed to sunlight. 

They can only go outside to enjoy the fresh air at very specific times said Gain-Davis.  

"In the spring the sun is low and weak enough that we can be outside from about 6:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., whenever the UV index escalates over one is when we can be outside until, and then we are indoors until sunset."  

If Jake is exposed to the sun, he suffers severe burns to his skin. 

The Davis family tries to buy their groceries in the city where they have the option of parking underground. 

They have covered all of their windows in their Bearspaw home with a film that blocks out almost 100% UVA and UVB.

Right now, Gain-Davis is on the hunt for a daycare or dayhome to accommodate Jake, something that is proving to be very challenging. 

Ashley Gain-Davis Ashley Gain-Davis posted to a Cochrane Facebook group in hopes of finding safe childcare for Jake (screenshot)

"I have high hopes but low expectations. I understand that what I am asking for of a facility is extremely unique."