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.
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .
THIS unique holiday accommodation allows you to enjoy a full Flintstones experience .
An osprey soars through the air at 30 miles per hour before swooping down to catch its prey from a lake .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
A lively lemon shark grins into the camera and showcases his impressive teeth .
SEA LIFE and greenery in one shot show nature at its very best .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
This may look like a monster car engine that will leave petrol heads in a spin, but it is in fact a rather snazzy looking COFFEE MACHINE .
A BUMPER season of births has left zoo with three of the cutest exotic kittens you're likely to see .
A US firefighter has battled osteoarthritis and four hip replacements to break the world paddleboarding record .
