There are human singularities, such as that some people are unable to sleep and others feel no pain. But there is a case that brings together these other surprising anomalies; Olivia Farnsworth, “the bionic girl.”
Olivia Farnsworth is a British girl of only 10 years old, born in Huddersfield, England, which has become a headache for science.
The case has become a singularity of humanity. Experts do not yet understand how it is possible for a person to be unable to feel pain, sleep or hunger, the reason why the internet called her “the bionic girl.”
Niki Trepak, her mother, realized that her daughter was something “special”, because unlike her brothers, Olivia never cried, from birth to present.
They also realized that, at 9 months of age, her sleep pattern was not normal, she practically did not sleep and her hair did not start to grow, until she was four years old.
The Olivia Farnsworth case
This case became famous when she was hit by a vehicle and dragged for almost 20 meters when she was going to classes with her mother.
Faced with everyone’s astonished gaze, Olivia got up and walked quietly to her mother, asking “why do they look at me like that?”
Olivia was quickly taken to the hospital and doctors noted worried that she had a tire mark on her chest, no skin on her toe and hip.
Doctors said she had not suffered a fracture because her body, by not feeling the sensation of pain or danger, did not tense. She was always relaxed.
When the incident went viral, more amazing stories about Olivia began to come out; a picture of her with a ripped off lip and traces of blood appeared on the net and everyone wondered what had happened.
The truth is that the girl had fallen in her school and literally teared her lip. Without any complaint or trace of pain, she went to where her teacher told her she had fallen.
They took her to the hospital and had to do several stitches on the wound. It was at that moment that the doctor realized that the little girl did not feel any pain and did the surgery without any anesthesia.
In this way it was discovered that Olivia Farnsworth not only lacked the sensation of pain, but that she could not perceive the danger, for that reason she did not pay attention to the vehicle, nor that playing in the way she did in school was dangerous.
Why this singularity?
Throughout history there have been cases of people unable to perceive pain, others who barely dream and some who just have no need to eat. However, Olivia suffers from these three unique characteristics.
For that reason it is normal to ask ourselves why? Why is it that Olivia suffers from these three singularities? Everything is summarized in her genetic code.
According to the specialists who have studied her, she suffers from a unique chromosomal disorder that prevents her from feeling threats, sleep, tiredness, pain or hunger.
The analyses showed that Olivia has a failure on chromosome 6, although this is not completely absent, it is incomplete.
Remember that chromosomes are the structures that make our body develop and function normally.
Failures in this chromosome normally generate syndromes or complications of the neural and nervous system, however, Olivia maintains her intellectual development like that of any person.
Olivia’s future
Really, it is not known what will happen in the future. Olivia is a unique case for science and it is not known what consequences this chromosomal anomaly could have on her development or adulthood.
Although Olivia lives a normal life, it is thanks to the extreme care of her relatives. She does not feel sleepy or tired, but it does not mean that her body does not need rest.
She never feels hungry, but she needs to eat. She does not feel pain, but her body can suffer, simply she will never realise it.
Her mother makes sure that her daughter does not skip meals and consumes the necessary calories. She is given sleeping pills every night so she can rest.
In addition, they take weekly medical checkups to check if she doesn’t have any internal injuries or illness.
The specialists do not know how to deal with Olivia’s case, or if it can be treated since it is the first recorded case in history.
For that reason the family has decided to have a crowdfoundig page to help them continue funding the research.
Have you heard of Olivia Farnsworth? What’s your opinion about her? Let me know in the comment box.
