Archives for November 2008

Today’s Oprah show featured Brenden, a 7’3″ tall, 12 year old who stumped the medical professional for years when they couldn’t figure out why he kept growing. Finally “a bone marrow test revealed that Brenden’s excessive growth started in utero when one of his chromosomes broke off, flipped around and reattached,” Dr. Oz says. “They say the odds of this happening are billions to one.”
His doctors finally figured out how to stop his growth. “They induced your body into puberty by giving you testosterone,” Dr. Oz says. “It was a very smart idea by them.” It’s worked so far—Brenden says he hasn’t grown in the past six months.
I am amazed at the positive attitude Brenden displays. He justs wants to be treated normally – a basic human desire we all have. His biggest challenge is finding clothes that fit. He says he has everything custom made. Shaquille O’Neal invited him to come and hang out with him and he was going to introduce him to his favorite tailor and have some clothes custom made for him. Perhaps we could all beg for the same tailor’s phone number.
Thanks Brenden for standing tall and having such a positive outlook in what could be such an awkward time of your life!