(photo from nextbigfuture.com)
Take a look at the child cradled in her mother's arms. How old would you say she is? 8 months? 12 months? Nope. She is 16 years old. I'll let this sink in for a minute.....
Brooke Greenberg has the mentality of a toddler but she is actually much older. Why doesn't she grow? Doctors have yet to diagnose her with any type of chromosomal abnormality.
Brooke weighs 16 pounds and is 30 inches tall. She does not speak but she does laugh and responds to others. Her mother Melanie Greenberg, pushes her in a stroller when they go out and has learned how to handle potential awkward social situations. When a stranger asks how old Brooke is, her mother just turns years into months. When Brooke was 8, Melanie told others she was 8 months. So now at 16 years old, Melanie reports that she is 16 months.
When Brooke turned 4 years old she fell into a sleep for 2 weeks. At that time doctors discovered a brain tumor. Her family began preparing for her death. Later Brooke's doctors felt that there was no brain tumor but had no idea as to why the sudden lethargy.
Initially hormone treatment was recommended to the family but it didn't work. According to ABC news, Doctors have researached and studied Brooke's DNA cells in search for new information about genetics and why we age and die. If the gene or genes can be properly identified there are future plans for testing in order to discover whether the gene can be "switched on and off". It will be tested in animals to see whether their aging slows.
While there is much mystery surrounding Brooke, one thing is clear. Her family loves her and this touches me very much. Michelle Brooke says to ABC reporters, "We love her just the way she is. We don't want to change her."
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