Doctors Baffled, Intrigued by Girl Who Doesn't Age
Brooke Greenberg is the size of an infant, with the mental capacity of a toddler.
She turned 16 in January.
"Why doesn't she age?" Howard Greenberg, 52, asked of his daughter. "Is she the fountain of youth?"
Such questions are why scientists are fascinated by Brooke. Among the many documented instances of children who fail to grow or develop in some way, Brooke's case may be unique, according to her doctor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine pediatrician Lawrence Pakula, in Baltimore.
"Many of the best-known names in medicine, in their experience ... had not seen anyone who matched up to Brooke," Pakula said. "She is always a surprise."
Watch "20/20" FRIDAY at 10 p.m. ET for Brooke's story.
Brooke hasn't aged in the conventional sense. Dr. Richard Walker of the University of South Florida College of Medicine, in Tampa, says Brooke's body is not developing as a coordinated unit, but as independent parts that are out of sync. She has never been diagnosed with any known genetic syndrome or chromosomal abnormality that would help explain why...
Read more and watch video @ ABC News
Anyone else feel like she is being treated like a circus animal?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Yes, but she would be. People around her have probably got to protect her from it affecting her.
She's 16. Is this the first mention of her not aging in the media?
No idea. But I was not talking about her being protected bit, but about "She may be the fountain of youth" and all that other crap said in the video.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
She's going to be a long long term case study. What other crap was said in the video? (I didn't think there was anything inappropriate said)
Isn't the 'fountain of youth' just a figure of speech relating to her condition?
The lady in the vid was saying it could "give scientists the key to eternal youth"....I guess the robot projects are being scrapped then
Dude in the vid: "does she really have something...a secret" hahahaha!!
That would be funny if the dude in the vid was not her father...
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.