Woman dies at 20 still looking like toddler

A woman who died last week at the age of 20 never aged.

Brooke Greenberg, of Reisterstown, Md., puzzled medical professionals for years because she still looked and acted like a toddler. Doctors eventually dubbed her extremely rare condition "Syndrome X."

“While the outside world may have noticed Brooke’s physical stature and been puzzled by her unique development state, she brought joy and love to her family,” Rabi Andrew Busch, who delievered the eulogy at the funeral, told the Daily News Monday.

Woman with ‘Syndrome X’ dies at 20 but still looks like a toddler

Brooke was born prematurely at just four pounds but never physically developed into an adult, which puzzled and fascinated doctors throughout her life.

The family realized something was wrong as Brooke's younger sister aged past her, so they brought her to see many different specialists in search of answers. But her condition baffled all of them.


Scientists studied Brooke's DNA in hopes to learn more about human aging and extending youth, the local NBC affiliate reported.


This is truly unbelievable, and yet oddly unique.
My thoughts and prayers go out to this loving family.

reply to post by snarky412


That's crazy. Kinda cute, but crazy. So she developed mentally? She was psychologically an adult?

Wow, regardless of what she looks like,

a 20yo with suckin their finger? (Indeed,, interesting it haltered her brain development, too)

RIP fountain of youth!

Genetic mutation. It's possible that this was an evolution of our species that didn't work out. And people wonder why we so rarely observe real-time evolution. This is why.

I can see crooked and decrepit ruling elite slavering all over the thought of the secrets that this poor girls DNA might hold. May she rest in peace.

reply to post by GreyGoo


Isn't that the truth. but, I also imagine the day when humanity can cause beneficial changes while avoiding the negatives. Rather than waiting on nature to fail a few million more times. Just so someone has a different eye color or something else useless.

But, it also leads to other questionable areas. Do we cure people with down syndrome, by doing so are we saying they need to be cured because their life is worth less than ours as they currently are? I have a cousin back in memphis who has it, and man he is a savant when it comes to musical instruments. I envy his talent and his child like innocence at times.

What if we find there is a genetic cause for homosexuality and find concrete proof you are born that way? And with that knowledge heterosexual parents start opting for a "cure" for their child?

It is an exciting but scary future indeed.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


No she didn´t learn to speak etc, she was mentally as a baby. There are a document ( i believe many ) about her in youtube

Mind=Blown Kaboooooom!

reply to post by snarky412


I read your OP and the story from your link - extremely curious.

What wasn't very clear from the story was whether or not her being stuck at the toddler stage was just physical or both physical & mental. From some of the statements & quotes in the story I got the sense that she wasn't communicating with her family like a normal 20 year old, but that she was at least a little more advanced than a toddler would be mentally.

From a medical and scientific standpoint, I believe there's a big difference between a purely physical malady/condition and one in which the person is truly "stuck" both physically & mentally as a toddler.

It must have been incredibly hard on her & her family regardless. My thoughts go out to them...

** ETA - I see my questions were answered while I was writing this post. Thanks! **

reply to post by snarky412


Hi Snarky, I saw that girl and her family on the Katie show and the topic of that episode I believe was called "Medical Miracles" or something to that effect. That is sad that she passed away. I feel for her parents. I if remember correctly they accepted her condition and tried to live their life the best they could while taking care of her. Thanks for posting.

reply to post by overratedpatriotism


I have had to study genetic diseases and down syndrome is tame....very very tame....hell even this syndrome X. There are genetic diseases out these that will lead to a totureus agonising death or even give you a normal life just to snatch it away at pubity in the most ruthless undignified humiliating way.

Sorry but after seeing this stuff Im laying the red carpet out for gentic research and gene therapy. Allowing some rich gits to choose eye colour of there babies or haveing a few gays turned straight is a small price to pay. A very small price if it gets ride of things like Tay Sachs, Guachers, Pompe disease, cystic fibrosis, neimans pick, huntingsons and others.

overratedpatriotism
reply to post by GreyGoo

 

Isn't that the truth. but, I also imagine the day when humanity can cause beneficial changes while avoiding the negatives. Rather than waiting on nature to fail a few million more times. Just so someone has a different eye color or something else useless.

But, it also leads to other questionable areas. Do we cure people with down syndrome, by doing so are we saying they need to be cured because their life is worth less than ours as they currently are? I have a cousin back in memphis who has it, and man he is a savant when it comes to musical instruments. I envy his talent and his child like innocence at times.

What if we find there is a genetic cause for homosexuality and find concrete proof you are born that way? And with that knowledge heterosexual parents start opting for a "cure" for their child?

It is an exciting but scary future indeed.

edit on 29-10-2013 by overratedpatriotism because: (no reason given)

I have no problem with scientists using data from this young lady, Brooke, to help further studies for future health ailments on individuals that need help.

However, what I do have a problem with is doctors playing God and alter a baby's DNA according to what the parents would like their child to be like....such as eye color, hair color, straight/gay, maybe even being able to select what gender the kid will be.


This case is baffling, sad and yet the family stayed strong for her all these years, loving her and caring for her.
But I noticed as I was reading the article that many are curious to know if there could be a link to the 'Fountain of Youth'.
I see where some people's priorities lie, unfortunately.
*shakes head*

Very sad indeed.

do you guys think the world medical organisations would be allowed to just use here body for research or do you think the parents would have to agree with it. I only ask because this child could possibly advance medicine decades.

reply to post by dollukka


Thanks for posting the video.

I had actually heard about her years ago and had forgotten about her until I read this article about her passing.
I had a hard time grasping it then, I remember, as her story was told.


Back when I was in middle school, my friend and I thought it would be neat if there was a "shot" to give puppies & kittens to keep them the same age, where they never grew up. HA! Just kids being kids, thinking silly stuff.
Never did I imagine it would actually happen to a person tho.

Stories like this lead me to believe that all the folk tales about little people are in reality a sub species of humanity that we have misidentified as children because of their small size. I think this particular genetic mutation is evidence of a throwback to a part of human evolution that produced long lived, child sized humans who just stopped aging at a certain point until they finally reached old age.

reply to post by dollukka


Thanks for sharing this. I am familiar with Brooke, and I had been rooting for her. Oh well at least she had 20 wonderful loving years. No one really knew what to expect as far as life expectancy, but I knew that it would be shorter than most. She had too many health issues. Bye bye Brooke you little sweetie! Kiss kiss...