"The Girl That Feels No Pain" Options

[Annie5332]

Gabby, at just 5 years old, is one of the most unique little girls around. In fact, only 34 other Americans live with the same condition—a congenital insensitivity to pain—as her. Like a derailed train, the nerves that carry pain signals from the surface of her body to her brain never arrive. Gabby never feels pain.

"When we first found out she doesn't feel pain it was like, 'What a relief,'" her dad, Steven, says.

However, that pain is necessary, Gabby's mom, Trish, says. "People always think of pain. 'Oh, if I could get rid of the pain.' I'm thinking, 'You do not even know how lucky you are that you can feel it."

When she was just a baby, Gabby started chewing her own hand while she was teething. "She had bit down through her skin," Trish says. "She would have bit down to the bone had I let her. It was just chewed up. It looked mangled and nasty, like raw hamburger on her hand." It got to the point where Steven and Trish decided to have Gabby's teeth pulled out to save her hands and tongue, which she chewed on "like bubblegum."

After literally poking her own eye out, Gabby now wears protective goggles to try and spare the sight in her one remaining eye. "Now the main thing is keeping her good eye healthy," Trish says. "Making sure that we don't ever get an infection or do anything to hurt the one eye she's down to."

In another instance Gabby suffered second-degree burns on her hand after grabbing a hot lightbulb. "She just grabbed a hold of the lightbulb like she was grabbing a baseball," Steven says. "On a normal person, that would be very painful."

Im not sure if this belongs in Health, but please move to the right place if it doesn't. Only 34 other American's have this medical condition, and people with this condition usually die before the age of 25. There are about 100 people on Earth with this medical condition.

I got this article from the Oprah website. There are more stories like hers, like the little girl that was born with her legs together and no external genitals called "Mermaid Girl".

[*mona lisa*]

I remember watching this segment on Oprah. It's quite sad how she can danger herself so easily and not know that it's dangerous to say, touch a hot stove.

However, that pain is necessary, Gabby's mom, Trish, says. "People always think of pain. 'Oh, if I could get rid of the pain.' I'm thinking, 'You do not even know how lucky you are that you can feel it."

How true.

[sprezzatura]

It's kinda scary of what the girl has done to herself because she can't feel pain. And biting of her finger gives me a disturbing picture. But this situation is very dangerous. :/

[ichigofan]

I saw this on Primetime, that is so weird, at first i was like cool wish i couldnt feel pain, but after watching the special i was in SHOCK on how dangerous it is, I feel bad for the little girl, she cant play in the park without being scanned for any cuts, bruises or broken bones

[Joss-eh-lime]

the idea of a little kid poking their eye out really disturbing. and since they dont live past 25, im guessing theirs another health condition that comes along with it.

[*yrrnotelekktric*]

this is freakishly interesting.
only 100 people on earth?!!
thats amazing !

[annalucky]

^ I don't think there's another health condition. I was thinking that it was just the fact that they don't know what hurts so they kinda do things without knowing the fatal results because they've never experienced pain. Like the baby and her hand..

[demolished]

Yes. it's hard for them to learn a lesson w/out pain.

[Joss-eh-lime]

^ I don't think there's another health condition. I was thinking that it was just the fact that they don't know what hurts so they kinda do things without knowing the fatal results because they've never experienced pain. Like the baby and her hand..

well if they get past the age where they are a danger to themselves, they could live a pretty normal life, so what would the cause of them dying early be?

[magicfann]

damn she'd be hard to interrogate....but i`m sure jack bauer could pull it off

[datass]

That is interesting and quite disturbing.

[shortiiex]

that's interesting yet sad..i feel bad for her...i thought pain was alwyas a bad thing.

[breakingdawn]

mermaid girl

wow...

[M!ssMurd3r]

My friend stephanie has a cousin that cant feel pain. She gets stressed and pulls her hair out...its horrible.

[pedophile]

So if these people have sex, do they feel it?

[*This Confession*]

^what exactly do you think?


I feel sorry for the little girl and anyone else that suffers from this. Its rather frightening to think if you ever had a child like this when you got older. What would you do?


This makes me think of my favorite quote though,
Take pride in your pain for you are stronger than those who have none.

I never saw the whole oprah thing on this though..