Young man trapped in boy's body
An Australian man is living his life trapped
in the body of a young boy because of a rare genetic disorder that has
stopped him from growing.
Adelaide man Stuart McKechnie is often mistaken for a young boy because of his short stature and inability to walk or talk.The 20-year-old, who is 115cm tall and weights only 20kg, first stopped putting on weight a few weeks after being born four weeks premature on September 26, 1995.
Stuart stopped growing several weeks after being born premature. |
Stuart was diagnosed with “failure to thrive” after doctors discovered a calcification spot on his brain, the Daily Mail reports.
It wasn’t until he went to hospital after suffering a scalding burn in 2008 that he was diagnosed with Johanson-Blizzard Syndrome.
“Stuart got a scalding burn and spent 20-odd weeks in hospital - that's when they did an in depth look,” his father Glen McKechnie told the newspaper.
Stuart watches footy with his brother while relaxing in the pool. Source: Facebook |
Apart from his short stature and inability to walk or talk, Stuart also has a small nose and teeth abnormalities.
Stuart enjoys watching swimming and the footy. Source: Facebook. |
While he cannot speak, the happy and cheeky young man still finds ways to communicate and have fun with his family.
“He scoots around the house on his bottom and can play with toys. But as far as feeding, showering and changing, he needs me to do that,” Mr McKechnie told the Mail.
Mr McKechnie is also the primary carer for his wife and Stuart's mother, Wendy, who suffered a brain injury after a diabetic seizure in 2001.
Credit: Yahoo7 News,December 30, 2015, 5:24 pm