The child-like woman has a tumor pressing on her pituitary gland and preventing the production of growth hormones

Feb 10, 2015 15:50 GMT  ·  By

It's impossible to tell just by looking at her, but Zeng Yushan, now living in the township of Huzhu in China's Sichuan Province, is 20 years old. Those who don't know her, however, rightfully assume that she is just a child.

This is because the young woman does not in the least show her age. On the contrary, she looks just like a schoolgirl and has the mental abilities of a child around the age or 5 or 6. What's more, chances are that she will have the appearance of a child for the rest of her life.

Why Zeng Yushan looks like a child

Daily Mail tells us that the young woman was born in June 1994. When she was about 7 years old, she simply stopped growing. Her parents took her to see a doctor and were told that this happened because of a tumor.

This tumor that is to blame for Zeng Yushan's odd appearance is resting on her pituitary gland and keeping it from releasing growth hormones. Hence the fact that the 20-year-old looks like a girl of 7.

True, it is possible to surgically remove such abnormal tissue growths. However, it appears that Zeng Yushan's parents could not afford treating her. Because of this, she was left with no choice but to learn to live with her condition.

Shortly after the girl was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor, her parents divorced and she was left to live with her father. A couple of years back, the man passed away after falling ill and Zeng Yushan found herself living on the streets.

She is now looked after by a 50-year-old man named Guo Liu and his wife, who agreed to take her in after seeing her begging and taking pity on her. Apparently, the couple intends to take the girl to see medical experts in Beijing.

They hope that, given the right treatment, Zeng Yushan might recover from her condition. More precisely, they hope that artificial growth hormones will help her body develop past the age of 7 that she is stuck at.

The success of the treatment is touch-and-go

Specialists say that whether the girl can hope to grow any further very much depends on the condition of her bones. Thus, it is understood that, if she still has the bones of a child, she might respond to treatment.

However, if she got just enough growth hormones from her pituitary gland for her bones to be those of a teenager, chances are that doctors will not be able to help her. Simply put, the success of the treatment is touch-and-go.

What is certain is that, without treatment, Zeng Yushan will surely look like a 7-year-old for the rest of her life. Mind you, she will age just like any other person does. However, her appearance will not in the least reflect her age.

“Without treatment this woman won’t grow at all. This woman would age normally, some say such children may even live longer than expected but that is uncertain,” explains Ashley Grossman, a professor of endocrinology at Oxford University.

A tumor is keeping Zeng Yushan from growing
A tumor is keeping Zeng Yushan from growing

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This child is actually a 20-year-old woman
A tumor is keeping Zeng Yushan from growing
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