She is about to start driving and soon will be able to legally buy alcohol and get married, but Poppy Webb-Jones still looks and thinks like a ten-year-old girl. Unlike other 17-year-olds, Poppy is more interested in Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber than wearing make-up, experimenting with boys or staying out late. This is due to a rare condition which means she was born without any hormones, meaning she has never gone through puberty, never had a growth spurt and never thrown a teenage tantrum. To many parents of teenagers, Poppy must sound like the perfect child, but unbeknown to her or her mother Karen Webb-Meek, her condition posed a deadly risk to her health throughout her whole childhood. Poppy was born with a condition called panhypopituitarism meaning she lacks most of the hormones essential for life. Hypopituitarism is the decreased secretion of one or more of the eight hormones normally produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. If there is decreased secretion of most pituitary hormones, the term panhypopituitarism (pan meaning "all") is used. Poppy has no growth hormone, meaning her bones stopped growing around the age of 11, and she has no thyroxine, which regulates the metabolism and energy levels. In addition she has no oestrogen, which controls the onset of puberty and the development of secondary sexual characteristics.
Sitting all alone on drift ice in the Arctic Ocean, this lonely little fella looks lost .
An Australian explorer has travelled the globe with a toy pig, known as Travel Piggy, in search of a missing cuddly companion .
SPURTING water 20ft into the air, this is one well you wouldn't want to dip your bucket into .
HUNDREDS of hot air balloons decorate the sky above Turkey as the rising sun illuminates the spectacular scenery below .
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
A brave praying mantis makes an unusual friend in an Oriental garden lizard .
THIS BIGFOOT 'Jesus bird' may look silly, but he's perfectly designed for walking on water .
A Little owl looks down the lens of a camera and gives the photographer a cheeky wink .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .