The Curious Case of Brooke Greenberg: 16-Year-Old Has the Body and Mind of a Toddler
Like most 16-year-olds, Brooke Greenberg enjoys shopping and listening to rock music.
But unlike other girls her age who are learning to drive and going to the prom, Brooke still wears diapers, travels in a stroller and can't walk or talk. Like a toddler, Brooke is 2-and-a-half feet tall and weighs only 16 pounds.
"For the past 10, 11 years, she's looked the same," said Brooke's father, Howard Greenberg. "The price is, she's adorable. She stopped aging at the right age."
Her bones are that of a 10-year-old, her teeth are 6-years-old, her brain is less than a year old, Walker said.
Doctors aren’t sure how or why, but Brooke, who lives in Baltimore, Md., developed a mutation of the gene that controls aging and development.
Here is a full article As a father of 3 children....i wonder how I would have handled if my child stopped growing....how I would handle if my child would be a toddler for the rest of her life.
I know I would love my child no matter what and I would consider her a child from God but the other details would escape me until I would have to deal with them.
My fear would be that the scientist would look at my child as the literal fountain of youth and I dont know if I would like that.
What are your thoughts?
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Comments (24)
awww that's so sad
Some days I wish my daughter would stay little forever... but this is sad. I wouldnt let the scientists have at her personally. I would have the same fear that they would use her as some sort of experiment. Other then that I dont know how I would handle the situation either. I would love any child God gave me no matter what, but I dont know how I would deal with the daily struggle.
That little girl looks miserable! ♥
Aww. That's sad. But I wonder what the side effects are? I mean aside from being in a tiny body. Early death or something?
I also wonder what'll happen to her when her parents die/get old and she has no one to take care of her. I imagine there'll be someone else who can. But still, when she dies it'll be hard to tell people she was say..60 or 70 if she looks like a 2 year old.
I know a lot of parents things it would be cute, but it isnt great for the 16-year old at all because if she did have a normal body and mind she'd use it.
That'd be really hard because she's going to die one day looking like a toddler. Losing someone you love is heartbreaking, but losing a child can be devastating.
That must be really hard for that entire family.
I feel for them, especially Brooke.
I'm sure most moms wish their little girls could stay little forever, but none actually mean it like this.
I only hope that she can live her life to the fullest, live a happy life.
I wouldn't want scientists to drool all over her, either. :/
I guess I can see why people are commenting that this is so sad but having watched the documentary, this family is actually really amazing. They're so loving and sweet with her.
I'm with the author of this piece, I'd be afraid that people would want to make her in to some sort of genetic test and freak show.
I went to school (well, co-op because I was homeschooled) with a boy who stopped growing/aging at the age of eight. He was my age but looked like he was 8. He wasn't developmentally behind, his brain kept maturing and he was on target socially and mentally...but his body had stopped growing. His voice hadn't even changed (and we were seniors together!).
He was a really cool guy, he did his best to accept the situation. I tried not to feel sorry for him because he didn't want that. I wonder if he has heard this story.
I've read this story a couple days ago and its cool that her family is there for her
I know that if i was placed in that situation it would be difficult
I caught the peice that TLC has been airing on her this weekend. They're a great family and seem to be coping with it really well. I don't think I'd have that much grace, if we're being honest. I love Megan, who at almost 9 months is the same size as Brooke, being a baby and all the cuteness that comes with it, but I also look forward to the day when I can retire the diapers. When she goes to prom, graduates, starts college, moves away from home, etc.. ...it doesn't appear that they can expect any of that from Brooke and that has to be sad for them.
i think that is so sad...but i guess in a way that family has it's own miracle, and she is super duper cuteee
I am always joking with my little ones that they are getting too big too fast and they have to stop growing now and stay my babies.... I didn't think it was possible for that to actually happen.
id worry about whatd happen to her when i got old.
That is sad. They look happy, though.
Whoa.
Wow, i dont know what to say.
makes me wonder if she's going to see life through until the age of 80 or so, and if so who will take care of her. she's a cute kid. this is really mind boggling.
Geez, these folks that say this is sad or that the child looks miserable are all quite ignorant. A child is a child. She is the way she is. There is nothing sad about it. This is her.
Her family seems to love her. They treat her as she needs to be treated.
She doesn't need pity and she doesn't need this foolish uniformed attitude. She just needs to be who she is.
In case you couldn't guess, I am the parent of child with special needs. She is a cool kid. She is who she is. Nothing sad about her. Sure, she is different than her sister, but wouldn't she have been even if she were "typical"?
I hope the doctors eventually find out what caused her genetic mutation >.<
I saw the video on it and family was very loving and supportive about it. At the same time they knew that their daughter possibly had the chance to change lives with this genetic mutation. The question for me though is what is going on through the girls head. Does she know what's going on around her? I'm so curious to see how she thinks but maybe we will never know.
I take care of a girl who has a syndrome where her mind didn't develop much beyond that age, but her body kept growing. I think her life would be easier if her body had stayed small too.
As for the girl in this article, I think it's an advantage for her that her body and mind stayed together in development. It's sad that they stopped, but her family can easily care for her at home. Her lifespan will probably be shortened by whatever syndrome halted her growth so she probably won't outlive her parents.
She wouldn't be considered a fountain of youth just because her growth hormones aren't functioning.
Yikes! I couldn't handle it. But I've never even handled a totally normal child yet. I do want to adopt an older child tho, so wish me luck!
ive seen her before.
there could be some great antiaging breakthrough because of her.