A case of 'rebirth' of ... Heck

Liam Hoekstra hung his legs in the cloth, wished his head to the ground and gently carried out the stretching exercise in the air, the flap fell to reveal the solid belly with firm muscles. The ' muscular strength ' of a 19-month-old boy weighing less than 10 kg surprised everyone.

In fact, Liam's extraordinary health is the result of a rare genetic mutation called 'muscle growth syndrome' . Fortunately, this more solid muscle development does not affect the heart as well as any harmful effects on health.

Liam has a strong toned body that every bodybuilder has to dream about: muscle mass is 40% more than average, the metabolism is fast, the body is nearly zero. fatty. This is not to mention Liam's health and agility in an extraordinary form.

'At the age of 5 months, Liam knew how to practice slingshot skillfully' - foster mother Dana Hoekstra lives in Roosevelt Park, USA tells her son proudly.

'Running like the wind, agile like a cat, can lift heavy objects without any child the same age as it does. Liam was as healthy as if his belly was a bottomless barrel, but not fat and not gaining weight. Every 4 hours I have to prepare for a little meal.

For scientists, Liam's disease is not merely a common medical phenomenon . Here, the secrets of muscle growth and demise hope to be ' reconciled ' in turn, paving the way for a new remedy for osteoporosis and osteoporosis .

Liam Hoekstra swings on his parents' hands at 19 months of age (Photo: lsj.com)

However, with Liam, 'health of Hawaiian' has a great risk: the body of babies and toddlers needs fat to serve the growth of the brain and central nervous system. Lack of fat not only slows down the older child, but also causes the central nervous system to become damaged, said Dr. Hackley, MD, an internal medicine doctor.

'Muscle growth syndrome' was first recorded in cattle and rats in the late 1990s. In humans, the first case of illness was a German boy discovered in 2004. The disease is too It is so rare that until now, even the medical community itself has not been able to determine how many patients the world has.

More surprisingly , 'Little Hawaiian' Liam was born prematurely to 4 weeks, with a quite dangerous opening in the heart. When he was born, he had eczema, a large kidney, lactose-resistant body (sugar milk) and an overflowing stomach that caused his body to vomit several times a day.

At that time, no one thought the boy abandoned by his mother could survive as healthy as an ordinary person, let alone become a symbol of muscle strength. Yet, only 2 days after his birth, Liam could stand up firmly if someone held his hand to keep his balance. The heart and kidneys have gradually recovered in a few months, while vomiting has only ended a few weeks ago.

At 8 months, Liam is adept at pushing and sniffing. Another month, climb up and down the stairs

The Hoekstra family said, no matter how extraordinary their little adopted son is, they just hope he will live a simple, normal life. They bluntly rejected some friends' suggestions, half jokingly advised Liam to pursue sports or offer advertising contracts.

However, for scientific research purposes, they are ready.

Hai Minh