- [Narrator] In this world, there's no one exactly like you; everyone is unique and one of a kind. But while that is technically true, there are some people out
there that take uniqueness to a whole other level. From a one-man blue-man group, to a guy with very real
cybernetic enhancements, let me introduce you to some folks who are truly one in a million! (bright music) Javier Botet. Looking different to most other people isn't always pleasant, but for some, standing out in the crowd
is their money maker! At aged five, Javier Botet was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective
tissues in the body and causes the body's longer
bones to grow too much. As a result, in adulthood, Javier stands at a towering 6 foot 7 inches tall but weighs just 123 pounds. People with Marfan syndrome
are often tall and thin, with long arms, legs, fingers and toes, and often suffer from scoliosis, a medical condition in
which a person's spine develops a sideways curve. Thankfully, Javier has avoided the majorly-negative
complications of the syndrome, and doesn't let his
condition hold him back from achieving his dreams! Javier's unique look
paired with a keen interest in the performing arts led him
to pursue a career in acting. Because of Javier's ability to perform such distinctive body movements, he's found his niche as a creature actor! While many actors resent typecasting, Javier fully embraces it
and puts his flexible limbs to good use in many movie roles. Javier has appeared in many
horror hits including "Mama," the "Conjuring 2" and "It Chapter 2," as well as starring as the
one and only Slender Man in the 2018 movie about the
terrifying urban legend! While Marfan syndrome affects
around one in 5,000 people, what makes Javier one in a million is the way he's utilized
it to his advantage, and with over 20 iconic
creature performances so far, I can't wait to see what he does next! Paul Karason. The next time you're
feeling a little blue, cast your thoughts to Paul Karason. In his younger years, Paul
was fair skinned with red hair but later developed a bad case of eczema. In his search for a cure to alleviate the painful cracking of his dry skin, he stumbled across a magazine advert showing a shriveled old
daisy brought back to life by a powerful liquid. That liquid was colloidal silver, which consists of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid base, and was being peddled as a
cure-all for skin conditions. With hopes of becoming as
fresh as a daisy himself, Paul set about making his
own colloidal silver at home. Soon, he was drinking a
10-ounce glass of the stuff each day, hoping to
improve his general health as well as treat his dermatitis. However, after a few
years of this regimen, Paul developed a case of
what doctors call argyria, in other words, he turned completely blue! This blue-gray discoloration
of the skin and eyes is caused by an excessive
build-up of silver ions like those found in colloidal silver. The condition is extremely rare
but completely irreversible, and Paul was, ironically, left with skin that drew way more attention
than his eczema ever would've. But despite becoming more
reclusive to avoid the stares, Paul never stopped taking
his colloidal silver potion. He passed away on September 23rd, 2013, at the age of 62 after suffering a stroke that was completely
unrelated to his argyria. In fact, argyria isn't considered to be all that dangerous at all, save for the damage to your ego having to explain to everyone you meet: - I'm afraid, I just blue myself. - [Narrator] Neil Harbisson. Many people out there
believe that, eventually, robots will take over the world. While that idea may seem
like science fiction, it may surprise you to hear there are actually cyborgs
among us all ready. This is Neil Harbisson who
was born in Mataro, Spain and was quickly diagnosed
with achromatopsia, or complete color blindness. This 1-in-30,000 condition means
Neil can only see the world in shades of black, white and gray. For 20 years, Neil's
life was in grayscale, until he acquired that distinctive piece
of headgear in 2004. It isn't just a high-fashion hat; it's actually an antenna that's permanently
attached to Neil's head! This cyborg antenna is a sensory system created to extend Neil's
perception of color. It's actually implanted into his skull, attached to his occipital bone and uses tech to allow
Neil to hear colors! The antenna features a
camera that translates the different colors it detects into vibrations of different frequency, transmitting those
vibrations inside Neil's head through the bones in his skull, which are felt and
detected in the inner ear. He uses his unique, cybernetically-enhanced
perception of the world to inform his approach to art, allowing him to paint using colors he can't actually differentiate
between with his eyes alone! Far from a disability, Neil
considers his world view as a gift, and believes that
recent technological advances will mean there will be more human cyborgs in the near future! Stef Sanjati. I'm sure most of us have
looked in the mirror and wanted to change a few of the things that make us unique. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of role models out there that can show us what it really means to have confidence in what makes you different! This is Stef Sanjati, and
you've probably noticed that she has a very
distinctive appearance. Sporting a streak of naturally-white hair and piercing, wide set, blue eyes, Stef's unique appearance is a result of a genetic condition that causes facial bone mutations, hearing loss, and unusual
hair and eye pigmentation. This collection of symptoms is what's known as Waardenburg syndrome, and in 2015, Stef shared a YouTube video explaining her experiences
with the syndrome that's now garnered
almost 10 million views! While Waardenburg syndrome affects an estimated one in 40,000 people, and those piercing blue eyes
and pale patch of hair may not be completely unique to Stef, Waardenburg syndrome isn't the only thing that makes her unique. Stef is also transgender,
and in December 2016, underwent facial feminization surgery to bring her face closer in appearance to typically female facial features. While Stef has been able to move forward identifying as female, she didn't allow her surgeon to alter any of her Waardenburg syndrome features. To her, those features
are an essential part of what makes her who she is, and we can certainly learn
a thing or two from Stef about coming to value those unusual things that make us individuals. Zhang Ruifang. In 2009, a 100-year-old
woman named Zhang Ruifang from China's Henan province,
noticed something strange, hard, and brown growing from
the left side of her forehead. Once 2010 rolled around, her
forehead-friend had grown to two inches long, and
by her 102nd birthday, it was almost four inches long! Stranger still, before
long it became apparent that Zhang was growing not just one, but two of these horn-like appendages on either side of her forehead! Despite resembling what her family refer to as "devil horns," these growths are actually skin tumors known as cutaneous horns. These abnormal protrusions from the skin are formed from keratin, the same substance that
makes up fingernails. While the exact cause of
cutaneous horns is unknown, exposure to radiation
from sunlight is theorized to be a driving force, and I suppose after a century on Earth, Zhang's forehead has
seen a lot of sunlight! Despite doctors and family
members urging Zhang to get her horns removed,
she reportedly refused because she'd never had
so many well-wishers and visitors to her home. Since 2011, there have been
no public updates on Zhang and her horns, but here's
hoping they continue to grow to this day, as a kind of crown to celebrate her seriously-impressive age! Nyakim Gatwech. The fashion industry has
historically been pretty harsh, and many models buckle under the pressure to look certain, specific ways. Thankfully, though, as time goes by, the focus on a single type
of beauty and appearance is becoming less-and-less, with
unique, striking appearances instead taking center-stage. One individual taking the
fashion world by storm with her distinctive looks, affectionately known as Queen of the Dark, is Nyakim Gatwech, an American model of South Sudanese descent. Nyakim's skin is very rich in melanin, a special pigment of the
outermost layer of the skin. Melanin helps to protect the
body from the sun's radiation and gives skin its color; the darker your skin, the
more melanin you have. Having emigrated to the
USA at the age of 14, Nyakim recalls being teased by other kids because of her extra dark complexion. Despite this, Nyakim
believed in her unique beauty and began working as a model, and has now worked with
major beauty brands alongside gathering almost a
million followers on Instagram. Showing the true power of social media, Nyakim's page is flooded
with positive comments about her distinctive skin tone, totally overpowering the
naysayers of her younger years. Providing a role model for
people for whom, previously, seeing individuals with
skin tones as distinctive as their own represented in
the mainstream public eye was almost unheard of, models like Nyakim, and fellow model and friend,
Khoudia Diop from Senegal, are more than just a pretty face! Larry Gomez. A lot of guys complain
about not being able to grow enough facial hair, but they
might count themselves lucky after meeting this next unique character. Larry Gomez, from Loreto, Mexico, is covered in so much hair, particularly on his face,
that he's been dubbed one of the world's hairiest men! A hair-raising 98% of Larry's body, save for his palms and soles, is completely covered with thick dark hair as a result of a rare condition
called hypertrichosis. Hypertrichosis, also known
as Werewolf syndrome, results from a chromosome mutation, causing the production
of a thick coat of hair all over the body as seen here
with Yu Zhenhuan of China, and most commonly appears
in a person's early years. That said, there are various different classifications
of hypertrichosis. Larry, along with some of
his extended family members were actually born covered with hair, which is an extremely rare
variety of the condition, known as congenital
generalized hypertrichosis. In fact, since the Middle
Ages, fewer than 100 cases of congenital generalized hypertrichosis have been documented! It's estimated that
around 107 billion people have ever lived on earth,
so with this in mind, Larry isn't merely one in a million, he's actually closer to one-in-a-billion! Shilah Madison. A bad hair day can get the
better of most of us out there, but what if that bad hair day
turned into a bad hair life? This is Shilah Madison, and
that wild look isn't deliberate. Shilah was born in 2010,
sporting a halo of blonde fuzz that would stick with her for life. As she grew, this tot's untameable tresses stood constantly on end and
refused to be flattened, making brushing it a fruitless task. After years of battling
with her unruly mane, Shilah was diagnosed with a condition known as Uncombable hair
syndrome at the age of seven. Yes, that's a thing. Uncombable hair syndrome is
caused by a genetic mutation that prevents the production
of certain hair proteins, causing hair strands to
form in a misshapen manner. Characterized by dry, frizzy hair that is impossible to comb flat, the condition is so rare that there are only around
100 people worldwide known to possess it. That makes Shilah one in 790 million! Some experts speculate
that Albert Einstein had uncombable hair syndrome and Shilah and her family
have accepted her similar look as an in-house joke. It certainly looks like
Shilah has the smarts to not care about being different, and embraces her unique look! Ramesh Darji. Born in the small village
of Bhimgithe in Nepal, Ramesh Darji suffers from a
rare and debilitating condition known as ichthyosis. This condition, triggered
by a defective gene, causes dead skin cells to accumulate on Ramesh's skin's surface instead of dropping off of his body. This results in hard, flaky scales and extremely limited
mobility for young Ramesh. While there are more than
20 types of Ichthyosis, Ramesh has the rarest
and most severe kind, known as Harlequin Ichthyosis, which is extremely painful
and, sadly, incurable. Ramesh's skin grows a
shocking 10 times faster than it should, which led
to his skin becoming solid, almost like stone, requiring his family to constantly apply moisturizing ointments to ease his symptoms. Just by chance, a reporter
from the Kathmandu Post happened to walk past Ramesh
outside his home in 2016, and after Ramesh's heart-breaking story subsequently went viral online, it caught the attention
of people around the world who were able to offer help. In the aftermath, he was
offered free treatment at the Kathmandu Medical College, where, even if his disease cannot be cured, he can at least receive the
best relief care available. Elisane Silva. Being tall is often a
requirement of modeling, but Brazilian model Elisane Silva is on another level, literally. By age 10, Elisane was already 5 foot 9, taller than both her 5-foot-4
mother, and 5-foot-7 father, meaning at only a decade old she was already the tallest
member of the family. By this time, she started
to experience feelings of intense pain in her bones, as well as a built-up pressure in her head both of which turned out to be connected to the excessive rate at
which she was growing. It turned out that
Elisane had a benign tumor on her pituitary gland that had caused an overproduction
in growth hormones, and it was only when she had
the tumor surgically removed that her rapid growth finally stopped. By this time, Elisane was 18, and she was standing at 6 feet 9 inches, claiming the title of
Brazil's tallest woman. Excessive growth like that
experienced by Elisane is known as gigantism, which is an exceptionally rare condition with just around 100
reported cases to date. While Elisane's height
is certainly staggering, and alongside her figure
and flawless features has helped her begin a modeling career, she's not quite the
tallest woman in the world. That title is held by
Turkey's Rumeysa Gelgi who stands 7 feet 0.7 inches tall! One thing that makes
Elisane unique, however, is her husband! Love comes in all shapes and sizes and 5 foot 4 Francinaldo
wasn't at all afraid to reach for the stars, with the couple getting married in 2015. The two had a son together in 2018, and baby number two is also on the way, although the jury's still out on who's height these kids will inherit! David Vetter. A few years ago, the word quarantine seemed exclusive to movies and TV shows. Things are very different now, but compared to the life of David Vetter, our lockdown woes seem
like a walk in the park. On September 21st, 1971, David
Vetter was born in Texas, with a hereditary disease that made him abnormally
susceptible to infections. Known as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, this rare genetic disorder affects the production of antibodies, which healthy bodies use
to fight off infections. David's antibodies were
almost completely defective, meaning as soon as he was
born, he had to be isolated in a completely germ-free environment at the Texas Children's Hospital, which became his home
for most of his life. While you might consider
"living in a bubble" just a figure of speech, this way of living became
necessary for David's survival. Everything that entered David's bubble had to be thoroughly sterilized
including water, air, food, diapers, and clothes. To do this, items had to
be placed in a chamber filled with a special sterilizing
gas called ethylene oxide and heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only that, but David
could only be touched using special plastic gloves that were attached to
the wall of the chamber. Despite all of this,
David's parents and doctors were determined to provide him with as normal a life as was possible. They installed a playroom
and TV in his bubble and also made sure he was
provided with a formal education. When David was four years old, he figured out he was able
to poke holes in his bubble using a butterfly syringe that had been left inside
the chamber by mistake. After discovering this, to their horror, doctors explained to David what germs were and how they affected him differently than they affected other people. While that close-call
had no serious outcome, David was suddenly aware of the dangers of the outside world. Regardless, as he grew a little older, he grew ever-keener to
explore the outside world. Hoping to give the poor
kid a fleeting chance to experience normal life, the hospital doctors reached
out to engineers for help, and wound up receiving assistance from the last place
you might expect: NASA! That's right; a group of NASA researchers used their experience with space suits to create a special suit
that would allow David to finally walk around
in the outside world. The suit took three
years and $50,000 to make and was completed in 1977,
before David's 6th birthday. The suit itself had an
eight-foot-long tube, tethered between David's isolation bubble and a transparent sphere
worn over his head, which functioned as a
biological isolation system. Unfortunately, though, the suit proved very uncomfortable for David,
and it rarely saw much use. By the time David was 12 years old, $1.3 million had been spent on his care, but despite all that money,
as we've seen already, being one in a million doesn't
always mean a happy life, nor a happy ending. David sadly died, aged 12,
on February 22nd, 1984, after a bone marrow transplant, which would likely have cured him, turned out to be harboring
an undetected virus, which proved fatal to
David's immune system. David certainly left quite
the legacy behind though, and a nearby elementary
school was named after him, with a view that every
child could learn something about perseverance and finding joy in even the most desperate circumstances, from the story of this
one-in-a-million child. Milagros Cerron. Born in Huancayo, Peru
on April 27th, 2004, Milagros Cerron was undoubtedly one of the most unique
humans you'll ever see. Although most of
Milagros' internal organs, including her heart and lungs,
were in perfect condition, she was born with some
significant internal defects, collectively known as
sirenomelia, or mermaid syndrome. On the inside, her
digestive and urinary tracts shared a single tube,
while on the outside, her legs were fused together
from abdomen to heel, with her feet splayed out in a V shape, looking just like a mermaid's tail, hence the name of the syndrome. Mermaid syndrome occurs in
around one in 70,000 births, but sadly, most infants don't make it past their first 48 hours of life. Fittingly, though, the first
name Milagros means miracles in Spanish, and the girl
was only one of three reported cases of surviving
Sirenomelia past infancy. Doctor Luis Rubio treated Milagros from when she was just a
couple of days old and, along with a team of surgeons, was able to separate her conjoined legs when she was two years old. By the time she reached Kindergarten, Milagros was miraculously
walking by herself; took ballet lessons and
ran around the playground with her classmates. Despite beating the odds
to survive and even walk, Milagros sadly passed
away at the age of 15 from a kidney problem
related to her condition. Still affectionately known
as the Little Mermaid, it's safe to say that
Milagros' cheerful demeanor in spite of her heart-breaking story can teach us all something about what really matters in life. Rahma Haruna. It's easy to forget sometimes just how amazing the human body is, and we often take for granted our ability to do our daily tasks. But Rahma Haruna is a testament to the human body's ability to exist, even in a form that seems impossible. Born in Kano in northern Nigeria, Rahma appeared to be a healthy baby, but as she got older it became apparent that she wasn't like other children. At the age of six
months, both Rahma's legs and one of her arms
inexplicably stopped growing, while her head, neck and
torso continued as usual. This mystery condition baffled doctors and left Rahma unable to do
basic tasks such as walking, crawling, or even holding most items. Due to the immobility
her condition caused her, Rahma was left living her
life inside of a bucket that family and friends
used to carry her around. It was eventually discovered
that Rahma was suffering from a severe case of phocomelia, a condition that causes malformations of body, face, arms and legs,
thought to be due to errors in the way chromosomes replicate
in the sufferer's body. According to research,
phocomelia occurs in just 4.2 per 100,000 births, but few suffering as severely as Rahma have survived past
infancy, meaning her life, though limited to a bucket,
was somewhat miraculous. Shortly after a photograph
of Rahma and her bucket went viral online in 2016, an anonymous donor provided
her with a wheelchair to make getting around easier
for her and her family. Despite her disability, Rahma
was always in high spirits and had dreams of opening
her own grocery store. Sadly, though, she passed
away on Christmas Day in 2019 at the age of 19, from complications surrounding her condition. But if a girl who had to
spend her life in a bucket can smile through it all, instead of being sad at her passing, we can use her story to give ourselves a little strength too. Virsaviya Borun-Goncharova. Taking a look at this picture
of Virsaviya Borun-Goncharova, from Florida, USA, you might assume she's just like any other girl. But Virsaviya was actually
born with a condition that caused her rib cage
and abdominal muscles to form irregularly in the womb. This resulted in her heart
forming outside of her ribcage, leaving it exposed below
only a layer of skin, and you can even see it beating! Pentalogy of Cantrell, also known as thoraco-abdominal syndrome, is an extremely rare condition that affects around five
newborns out of a million births! Thanks to the power of evolution,
the regular human ribcage forms a protective enclosure around some of our most vital
organs: the heart and lungs. Because of her condition,
Virsaviya's heart is completely unprotected
aside from the skin that covers her chest. While her condition does
not cause Virsaviya any pain in day-to-day life, she does
have to be extremely careful, as a simple bump or
fall could prove fatal. Still, like many of the
people we've seen today, Virsaviya is a perfect
reminder that there are many, many ways to exist as a human being, and the more we come to understand that, the kinder and more
empathetic we can all be. And if you ask me, I'd say
that's a pretty good thing. Which of these truly amazing individuals inspired you the most? Do you have any features
that make you unique? Let me know in the comments below. And, as always, thanks for watching! (upbeat music)
