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Hypertrichosis (Excess Hair Growth; 'Werewolf Syndrome')

rynner2

Gone But Not Forgotten
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A remarkable tale:

Long-lost son finds out, after 33 years apart, his mother is a bearded hermaphrodite who used to be a hit at the circus... thanks to George the Giant
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:00 AM on 23rd November 2010

For a 33-year-old man who was looking for his biological mother, it was the last thing he expected to find.
Following a series of back problems Kansas-based Richard Lorenc decided to find out more about his family tree.
And six weeks after asking the authorities in Kansas, he had his answer: His mother was a 62-year-old bearded hermaphrodite who performed at circuses.

Vivian Wheeler and Richard's maternal grandmother, he was informed, both suffered from hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome - meaning they had facial hair, even as children.
This intrigued Richard, and he was determined to find out more - and meet his long-lost mother.
And, having searched on the Internet, discovered pictures of a woman with the same name working at sideshows and circuses.
'I knew it was her as soon as I saw the picture online,' he said. 'We have a resemblance.'

He had no way to contact her, though, and he pestered a number of people who knew her in the trade, including George 'The Giant' McArthur, who at 7ft 3ins is the world's tallest sword-swallower.
Only a few weeks later Vivian happened to attend an event George was performing in, and the giant was able to tell her about her boy wanting to contact her.

A Seventh-Day Adventist, she was overjoyed and thought it a miracle.
'The Holy Spirit told me to go,' she said. 'He told me George had something to tell me that was very important.
'I hollered at him from behind, and he turned around and told me my son was looking for me.
'I told God I wanted to know if I had grandchildren and if my son was alive. Then, like snapping your fingers, his wife called me.'

Richard's wife, Jessica, contacted Vivian to check some details before he agreed to meet up with her and find out more about her life.
They met for three days in Bakersfield, California, in June and now wheelchair-bound Vivian told her son about her life.

They have had a DNA test on the popular American chat show Maury Povich to ascertain whether they are actually mother and son, and the results will be revealed on Wednesday.
'I want to share the story, and I want to know for sure if it's my son,' she said. 'Even if not, I still love him.'

As she was born with both male and female reproductive organs, her mother, who wanted a girl, instructed the doctors to remove the masculine parts.
Her father, however, was humiliated by his hairy daughter and made her work at sideshows from an early age, forcing her to send back money she earned.
When she embarked on relationships with men, she would often shave back her fluff so as not to embarrass - or undermine - them.

The father of Richard was a carnival ride operator she had met in Nebraska and took the baby away from her soon after the birth.
She desperately wanted her son back and the stress caused her to have a mental breakdown on stage.
And when Vivian's mother died in 1990, she decided to stop shaving her beard entirely - it's now 11 inches long. 'I let it grow back to be myself,' she said.
'Without my beard, I'm not me. I'm pretending to be someone I'm not.'

Meanwhile Richard moved into an orphanage before his father, Richard James Chambers Snr. regained custody of him and took him to Kansas.
When teachers at his school began to notice abuse marks on his body, he was moved to a foster home.

Aged seven he was adopted and became Richard Kevin Ryan, and when he married, he took his wife's surname, Lorenc.
'I am lucky,' he said. 'Having this life story attached to it, it's cool. It's something I would've never imagined in a million years.
'But for this story to bring attention to Vivian is something else. It's a dream come true, I know, for her.
'Whatever happens, I want to be there with her. It's a great adventure. It's an unbelievable story, and I just want to be there for the ride with her and spend time with her.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z166Mg5xN7
 
Indian Boy With Hypertrichosis

Lalit Patidar, 13, was born with Hypertrichosis, a condition characterised by abnormal hair growth on the face, arms and other parts of the body.

Despite his condition, the teen lives a happy life and dreams of one day supporting his parents by becoming a police officer.

He also hopes to have surgery in the future so other children stop being so scared to play with him.

“I was born with too much hair on my face and this makes me different,” he said.

“Sometimes I wish I was like other children, but I cannot do much about it.

“I have gotten used to the way I am, and I am usually comfortable with myself.”

Lalit’s 42-year old mum was stunned to see her baby boy covered in hair when he was born. “I have five daughters and we prayed at lot of temples to have a son. Our prayers were answered when Lalit was born.

“He is different but still very special for me because he was born after many special prayers.”

Lalit often gets jeered and stared at while in public, especially when outside of his native village.

“Sometimes when I am out in a busy town, people come and stare at me. Some even call me monkey," he said.

“There have been times when other kids throw stones at me and call me names.

“But my family and friends come to my rescue and defend me during such incidents.”

He added: "I sometimes wish to have some surgery to get rid of excess hair because I want to be friends with everyone. They  shouldn't hesitate to play with me.

"If I didn't have hair I'd be fine. No one would bully me."

Lalit is very optimistic about his future and wants to join the police force.

He said: “I want to join the police and put all thieves and criminals in jail when I grow up.

“I want to earn money as an honest policeman and with that I want to look after my mum and dad.

“They have done a lot for me and I don’t want any complications for them when they grow old.”

0_The-Boy-With-Werewolf-Syndrome.jpg



0_The-Boy-With-Werewolf-Syndrome.jpg
 
I would have thought that a razor would provide some short-time respite from his otherness. :dunno:
 
CASES of ‘werewolf syndrome’ have grown after 16 children were given contaminated medication from Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The infants developed hypertrichosis – excessive body hair growth – after taking omeprazole which had been contaminated by minoxidil – the active ingredient for alopecia medication.

https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-...minated-medication-from-spains-costa-del-sol/

makes you wonder why infants are getting prescribed Omeprazole when it's well known about gut activity and the mind.
 
makes you wonder why infants are getting prescribed Omeprazole when it's well known about gut activity and the mind.

In Scotland it's usually because they are taking something else that is likely to increase reflux, have a medically significant history of reflux which is affecting well being (so more than the occasional bad night) or as a prophilactic in advance of certain surgeries.

No idea about anywhere else :)
 
CASES of ‘werewolf syndrome’ have grown after 16 children were given contaminated medication from Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The infants developed hypertrichosis – excessive body hair growth – after taking omeprazole which had been contaminated by minoxidil – the active ingredient for alopecia medication.
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-...minated-medication-from-spains-costa-del-sol/

Update ...

The article cited above claims the children's hair growth subsdied when they quit taking the tainted medicine. This doesn't appear to be entirely true. Some children are still exhibiting hypertrichosis to this day, and their parents are now pursuing compensation.
20 children sprout hair all over their bodies after they were mistakenly given Minoxidil hair restorer for stomach upsets in Spain
  • The children were given minoxidil instead of omeprazole in mislabelled syrup
  • Minoxidil is used for hair growth while omeprazole is used to treat gastric reflux
  • Pictures of the children show that hair has grown all over their bodies
  • Their parents say that two years after the mistake, the hair continues to grow ...
Two years after the medical blunder, the families of some children have complained that despite treatment, the hair keeps growing, and they are now demanding compensation. ...

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the authorities discovered at the end of July last year that the mistake had been made when a group of families, represented by lawyer Javier Diaz Aparicio, filed a complaint with the authorities.

It took authorities two months to realise the labelling error and to shut down the laboratory where the mistake was made and recall the medicine. ...

The families have now filed civil and criminal complaints against the laboratory and several companies for importing and distributing the drug for manufacturing, distributing and selling, as well as against two pharmacies in Cantabria which were later acquitted by the judge. ...
FULL STORY (With Photos):
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark
 
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