- [Narrator] Childhood should
be a time of innocent joy, when the grownups get to deal
with the big stuff for you. But some kids have to deal with challenges beyond their years. Life can be an uphill battle
for anyone born different, but their unique conditions are what make these kids so inspirational. Grab the tissues, this is
gonna be a tear-jerker. (upbeat music) Abby and Erin Delaney. Whether they're identical or not, twins are linked by
more than meets the eye. But in some rare instances
like that of Abby and Erin Delaney, they're
also connected physically. These beautiful conjoined twins were born with a condition
called craniopagus, meaning the tops of their
heads were fused together. Conjoined twins like this usually begin as a single fertilized egg, but if the egg partially splits or divides and then joins back together, it develops into two conjoined fetuses. It occurs once in every
50,000 to 100,000 births but less than 2% of cases
are joined at the head. Abby and Erin didn't just
share the top of their skull, they also shared an important brain vein called the sagittal sinus. This meant separation
was going to be risky, but after an 11-hour surgery and plenty of treatment,
they pulled through. Today they're two very happy, very bright and very
separate little girls. Mahendra Ahirwar. Do you ever wish you could see the world through someone else's eyes? Well if you had swapped perspectives with Mahendra Ahirwar, your world would have
been turned upside down. Mahendra was an incredible young boy who suffered from congenital myopathy. It's a muscle disorder he was born with, which left the muscles in his body thin, weak and terribly underdeveloped. Congenital myopathy affects approximately one in 25,000 people. It may not be the rarest of conditions, but Mahendra suffered
from an extreme variation. The muscles in his neck were so weak that they didn't have the
strength to lift his head, leaving it to hang at a 180 degree angle. The condition also extended
to his arms and legs, meaning he couldn't walk. Because he was heartbreakingly light, Mahendras family had no choice but to transport him around in a basket. To improve his quality of life, Mahendra was given surgery in 2016 to implant a small metal rod in his neck, which finally helped him see the world the right way round. But just eight months
later he sadly passed away. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely looking at the world from a different angle right now. It's stories like this that
really bring a tear to your eye. So, if you're a fan of the feels, be sure to hit that like
and subscribe button. I put out new videos every day covering the most
amazing stories and facts from all over the world. Now that I've given you a
chance to dry your eyes, let's get back to those
incredible kids, shall we? Katie Renfroe, we live
in an age where it seems doctors know just about everything about the human body, unless you have Katie Renfroe's mysterious medical condition. When her mom was just six months pregnant with young Katie, doctors discovered she was going to be born
with megalencephaly. This is a disorder that causes
overgrowth of the brain, making it much heavier than average. But after she was born, Katie
began to display symptoms that aren't usually
associated with the condition. To this day, doctors
can't explain why her face has grown so big, why
she suffers from as many as 50 seizures a day or why she can't walk or talk. To help manage the condition,
this little champion has undergone many painful surgeries, from making her cheeks,
tongue, and ear smaller, to brain surgery. But no matter how many
tests the doctors run, nothing has brought them
any closer to a diagnosis. In fact, it's so rare
that doctors may end up naming the condition after Katie. But they haven't given up hope just yet, and neither has her
incredibly loving family. Virsaviya Borun Goncharova. Some people wear their
hearts on their sleeve, but 10-year-old Virsaviya Borun Goncharova wears hers on the outside of her chest. She has a condition called
Pentalogy of Cantrell, a congenital defect that
can affect the development of the sternum, diaphragm,
heart, or abdominal wall. But Virsaviya was born with
one of the most extreme forms of the condition called ectopia cordis, where her heart formed
outside of her chest walls. It's left her heart
almost completely exposed and only covered by a thin layer of skin. So thin, in fact, that you can even see her heart beating through it. This condition is incredibly rare, and only affects around 5.5 in every one million live births. The condition is usually fatal, and just 5% of affected new-borns survive when ectopia cordis is
thrown into the mix. But Virsaviya has defied all odds, making her survival all the more amazing. Unfortunately, the complexity
of Virsaviya's condition has led doctors to rule out any form of corrective surgery for now. But that hasn't stopped this
brave-hearted little girl from living her life to the fullest. Adalia Rose. How old would you guess
youtuber Adalia Rose is in this video? While she may look wise beyond her years, she's actually only 13 years old. Although she doesn't sound
it, just listen to her voice. You see, Adalia suffers from progeria, a unique genetic condition that causes her body to age rapidly. So rapidly, that it's
estimated progeria patients biologically age about 10
years in a single year. What this means is that
while children like Adalia look normal at birth, they
develop aged looking skin, they don't grow much in size, and their arteries harden prematurely. It's this hardening and
narrowing of the arteries that gives kids like Adalia
a top end life expectancy of just 21 years old. Even though she has the body of a woman far beyond her years, Adalia enjoys things most kids her age do; like gaming, recording TikToks and
getting her nails done. You go girl. Zoe Lush. Parents joke about wrapping
their kids up in bubble wrap to stop them from coming to harm, but in Zoe Lush's case that
wouldn't be such a bad idea. You see, Zoe suffers from
osteogenesis imperfecta type three, a genetic
disorder characterized by increased bone fragility, low bone mass and susceptibility to bone fractures. It makes her little body so fragile that the slightest jar can cause a break, almost like she's made of glass. Simple activities, like
walking or standing, require specialist frames
and equipment like this. Even when she was still in the womb, doctors could see multiple fractures throughout her tiny unborn body. Although the prevalence
of osteogenesis imperfecta is estimated between one
in 10,000 to 20,000 births, it's unknown how many are
classed as type three. Can you imagine what it must be like to have that many breaks and
fractures at such a young age? Just thinking about it
makes my bones hurt. But the fact that little
Zoe can still smile through all the pain makes
this kid a real superhero. Abby and Brittney Hensel. Do you have siblings that you
have to share everything with? It can be such a pain. But do you think you'd
be able to share a body with your sibling? It may sound like a joke, but for dicephalic
parapagus conjoined twins, there isn't a punchline. These absolutely amazing
humans are fused side by side and are joined at the pelvis. This means they often have
two heads but share one body, along with four to seven limbs, and most of their vital organs. Like Abby and Brittney Hensel. Born in 1990, these sisters only had a one in 30 million chance of living beyond 24 hours. It all depended on how their organs were combined within their tiny body. They have two hearts, two spines, two sets of lungs and
more obviously, two heads. It was this separate development
of their upper bodies that helped them pull through. And since then, they've been enjoying life with double the fun. They each control their
own side of the body, meaning they have to co-operate and co-ordinate on just about everything from walking to drinking. But they take tests separately, have different interests, and even different driving licenses. If they get pulled over
when they're driving, who do you think gets the ticket? It's hard to imagine
having to share your life so intimately with your sibling. Have any of you guys had unusual
and inspiring childhoods, or know anyone who has? Maybe you overcame something as a child which made you who you are today. If you feel like sharing,
why not let me know in the comments below
and I might even get back to those who inspire me the most. Zhao Huikang. In 2009, Yi Lianxi gave
birth to a baby boy in China's Hunan Province. But for hours after the
birth she had to beg doctors to let her see her son. And when they eventually showed her, her whole body went numb. Zhao Huikang had been born with a bilateral transverse facial cleft, which meant the front of his skull hadn't managed to fuse together. This left him with two large gaps spanning from his mouth to his ears, making it look like he was wearing a mask. Transverse facial clefts like Huikang's have a prevalence that
varies between one in 60,000 to one in 300,000 live births. When his mother sought
treatment for Huikang in 2010, his story was heavily reported and managed to raise 400,000 yuan,
around $60,000 at the time, in donations for life changing surgery. Huikang underwent two
successful operations, and while the initial
results looked promising, his family was told it would take 10 years to see if his facial
bones would grow normally. But just take a look at the last images recorded of Huikang from 2015. The gaps on either side
of his face are gone, and even though there seems
to be some slight deformity, he appears happy and healthy. And at the end of the day,
that's all that really matters. Jaxon Buell. It takes some serious willpower to be able to make it through life missing a part of your body, and in the incredible case of Jaxon Buell, that couldn't be more true. You see, this little hero was born with a severe brain abnormality
called microhydranencephaly, meaning his brain stopped forming a few weeks into the pregnancy. It's an extremely rare
hereditary condition that affects less than one in
a million children at birth, and sadly there is no cure. By the time Jaxon was born, he was missing approximately
80% of the brain he should have had. Doctors initially told his parents that he probably wouldn't be able to see, hear or talk, as the areas of the brain controlling those processes
were thought to be missing. But against those odds, Jaxon was able to do all those things, albeit in a limited capacity. It seems those parts of
his brain were there, just on a much smaller scale. While he enjoyed a happy life
full of love and support, Jaxon sadly passed away in early 2020 at just five years old. But incredibly, he managed
to defy his doctors every step of the way,
what a little fighter. Baby Chanco. In 2017 baby Chanco, from Japan, was born with one
incredibly unusual feature, a full head of hair. By four months old, it had grown into a
hilariously unruly quiff. And by six months old, where most babies are still sprouting their first curls, Chanco's parents were
having to give their baby regular haircuts to keep her miraculous mane in check. Her glorious head of hair
took the internet by storm, amassing her over 340,000
Instagram followers as well as her very own commercial for Pantene hair products. And all by the time she was one year old. Kind of makes you re-evaluate your own life achievements doesn't it? If only I'd used more
conditioner in my youth. But all lamenting aside,
how on earth did Chanco end up with such luscious locks? Apart from genetics, the exact influences of baby hair before and after birth is still a slight mystery. Although one study from 2006
found an unexpected link between the severity
of a mothers heart burn during pregnancy and the amount of hair her baby was born with. I wonder how many antacids
Baby Chanco's mom needed before her adorable furball arrived? Victoria Komada. The biggest challenge
most kids face these days is keeping up with the
latest TikTok trends, but four-year-old Victoria Komada has far bigger fish to fry thanks to her one-in-a-million deformity. She had bilateral tibial hemimelia, a condition so severely
affecting her lower limbs that both of her legs were bent backwards. Expensive surgery was
the only way to help save at least one of her legs. And after raising $234,000, her miracle treatment gave
her the ability to walk for the very first time. The first nine-hour
operation inserted a series of pins into her left leg whilst amputating the
right above the knee. Her second surgery fused the
bones in her left leg together to help strengthen it, and finally, Victoria was able to take her first steps. With a prosthetic leg attached, the youngster can now walk, run and play thanks to the life changing surgery. There's certainly no turning back now for this little champion! Milagros Cerron. Can you guess what the
condition Sirenomelia involves? No idea, what if I called it by its less science-y
name, Mermaid Syndrome. This condition is an extremely
rare congenital disorder characterized by anomalies
in the lower spine and legs. It causes them to partially
or fully fuse together, giving the appearance of a mermaid tail. It only occurs in about one in 60,000 to 100,000 births, and one
of those was Milagros Cerron. She was born in Peru back in 2004, and as you can see, she was delivered with her legs completely
fused from hip to ankle. What's more, she only had
one fully formed kidney. Although many babies
with the condition die in the five days after their birth, Milagros amazingly survived. She underwent many surgeries to separate her legs, and from there she went
from strength to strength. She began to walk and dance, living a happy life like
any little girl should. But her chronic kidney problems led to her tragic passing in 2019. While many babies
suffering from Sirenomelia don't survive beyond 48 hours, Milagros was given 15
incredible years of life. But this little mermaid has
finally become a little angel. Rahma Haruna. Rahma Haruna was just like any other happy and bright young teenager, but she had an extraordinary background of strength and grit that stemmed from a mysterious medical condition. Rahma was born in Kano, Nigeria, and at just six months old, her arms and legs stopped
developing properly, leaving her almost completely limbless. She never learned how to crawl or walk, and as her head outgrew
her baby-sized body, she couldn't even sit herself upright. The only way she could balance herself was by living in a plastic bowl, which propped her into a position where she could eat, see
and be carried around. Despite her family selling
almost everything they had to afford medical help, Rahma's condition baffled
the local doctors. Because her family were
stricken by poverty, Rahma and her brother Fahad would beg for alms on
the streets of Nigeria and they used the plastic bowl to transport her around. Sometimes they even placed
the bowl on a wheelchair [JJ188]donated to the family,
to give her more mobility. But her severe disability
didn't stop Rahma from dreaming of one day starting
her own grocery business. Tragically, her dreams
never became a reality, and she passed away at
just 19 years old in 2016. I hope that one day we'll
hear of a grocery store opened in her memory. Hong Hong. It may sound far more
common than you'd expect, but one in every 700 to
1000 babies in the world are born with extra digits. The condition is called
polydactyly, and in many cases, it's just one or two
extra fingers or toes. But one extraordinary
child called Hong Hong, from China, was born with a grand total of 31 developed digits. That's right, his hands and feet were made up of 15 fingers and 16 toes. In some cases, polydactyly can manifest as tiny bumps or firm pieces of tissue that doctors amusingly
refer to as nubbins. But there's nubbin wrong with Hong Hong's fully
formed fingers and toes. It's incredible to see
just how perfect they are. Interestingly, Hong Hong's
mom also has polydactyly, as you can see by her twelve fingers. The condition is one of the most common hereditary limb anomalies, so it's not entirely
surprising little Hong Hong has more than the
average number of piggy's to take to market. Do you know of anyone who was born with extra digits on
their hands, feet or both? Fu Wengui. When viewed head-on, Fu Wengui appears to be a normal adolescent boy, but from a different angle, it's pretty clear that
something's not quite right. At the age of just six years old, he was diagnosed with
congenital scoliosis, a spinal deformity which is caused by abnormally formed vertebrae that affect the curvature of the spine. Sadly, this condition is prevalent in one in 10,000 new-borns and doesn't become apparent
until their adolescent years. When Fu reached 15 years of age, it became clear that his
vertebrae hadn't just curved, they'd also added a
few inches to his neck. According to his father,
Fu had 10 vertebrae in his neck rather than the usual seven. The pain stemming from
this condition was immense and caused poor Fu a whole
variety of mobility issues. Fortunately, doctors
from Chaoyang Hospital were able to formulate a surgical plan to help reduce the length of his neck. There haven't been any updates
since this was announced, so let's keep our fingers
crossed that Fu's neck reduction was a success, although there
are probably a few situations where that extra length
could come in handy. Tiyo Satrio. Fighting spirit isn't just
something you acquire, it's something you're born with. Don't believe me? Then just ask Tiyo Satrio. Despite having no limbs whatsoever, Tiyo from West Java, Indonesia, has learned how to write
and even play games on his PlayStation, how
does he manage that? I can't even play one
handed, let alone no-handed. Using his chin and part of his shoulder, Tiyo can easily hit up a
combo on the controller. And by using his mouth to grip his pen, he can write so fast that he keeps up with his classmates at school. But it wasn't always games and good news. Tiyo's mother Mimi wasn't
told about her son's condition until the day after he was born. Even though it shocked her at first, she has learned to adjust
to Tiyo's unique condition, helping give him the
very best life she can. Although it's helped him thrive, he does still need help getting around, bathing, and putting on clothes. But don't worry, those are three things that most Playstation
gamers struggle with. Which of these incredible kids
have inspired you the most? And do you know of anyone
living with unique conditions just like them? Let me know in the comments
below, and thanks for watching! (upbeat music)
