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.
An amputee who was cruelly nicknamed 'peg-leg' by school bullies has conquered her insecurities to become a model .
TRYING their best to wriggle away, three adorable tiger cubs receive their health checks at Chester Zoo .
Sarah Gould, before weight loss Mum told "get down the gym fatty" -A 20 stone woman who was told "get down the gym fatty" on a night out has shed a third of her weight in time for her dream wedding .
If you're ever struggling to find a use for your old VHS tapes you might want to take a tip from this innovative artist .
The beds are consumed by moss instead of customers at this abandoned hotel .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
A woman has revealed how she was left scarred for life after accidentally falling into a bonfire at a friend’s BBQ .
This brave Hyena finally catches his pray among the thousands of flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya - OUTNUMBERED among thousands of flamingos, this bold hyena is not put off from hunting for a morning snack .
MEET the underwater British seal who is so friendly he loves to grapple divers like a friendly puppy dog .
A woman has been left scarred for life after a botched eye lift burnt her eyelids .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - FUNKY BUMP: FROM MIRROR bellies to rainbow bumps these pregnancy casts of stone and bronze could be the funkiest way to preserve your bump for posterity .
A LUXURY baby cot has hit the shelves with a price tag just shy of 10 MILLION POUNDS .