A little girl who grew breasts when she was just 2 years and
started her period at age 4 is now going through menopause
at just 5 years old.
Little Emily Dover was born a normal baby and even weighed
less than her older siblings did at birth but as the weeks
went by, she suddenly began experiencing "exceptional"
growth and also suffered from "constant health issues".
At 4 months, Emily was as tall as a 1-year-old. She was still
a toddler when she developed cystic acne, breast buds and
strong body odour and this left her parents shocked. The
first time she saw her period when she was 4 years old, she
had no idea what it was and thought she had pooed in her
undies. The little child was then taught how to put panty
liners on for menstruating.
"My foo foo is bleeding," Emily tells her parents whenever
she gets her period.
Within the past 12 months, she has grown hair on her
forehead, back and vagina. Now aged 5, she is going
through menopause and all the other often distressing
side effects that older women experience.
Her mum, Tam Dover from Gosford in Australia, told Mirror
Online her beautiful daughter is body conscious and aware
that she is different from other children her age but she
can't understand why.
Recalling the moment Emily started menstruating, Tam, 41,
said: "Because she has trouble toileting, she thought she
had done a poo in her undies. We used panty liners and it
didn't last more than a day."
She added: "She only had her period again the other
day. She hasn't even had a chance to be a little girl. She's
having to learn how to put panty liners on for menstruating."
She continued: "It's difficult to explain to her what is
happening. She knows she's different, she knows she's
much bigger than other children. She's very conscious of her
body."
Emily, who weighs around seven stone, was born perfect "in
every way". She was smaller than her older siblings had
been at birth.But after just a week, things took a turn for the
worse. She became unsettled, started crying out in pain and
had difficulty sleeping. She also started growing, rapidly.
Tam, who is also a mum to a 22-year-old and 20-year-old
said: "Emily is my youngest child and she was also my
smallest baby after birth. She was 8lbs. The child before her
was 10lbs. The first week was pretty normal. After that,
(things) turned quite bad, she wasn't sleeping well, was in
pain."
She was finally diagnosed with Addisons disease this
summer after years of doctor's trips and tests. The disorder
means her adrenal glands don't produce enough steroid
hormones. She also has central precocious puberty - where
puberty starts too early in children - congenital adrenal
hyperplasia and autism spectrum disorder. And she has
sensory processing disorder and anxiety disorder.
When Emily began suffering from constant health issues at
four months of age, doctors told the parents that the bouts
of sickness and infections was likely a virus contracted at
daycare. She also started complaining of painful breasts
and stomach cramps and her family was referred to the
Pediatric Acute Care Unit at Wyong Hospital. At the
hospital, a series of tests were run and Emily's hormone
levels came back as though she was a pregnant woman,
according to her mum.
"Emily was then 3 years of age; she had breast buds, strega
on her legs, excess body hair, and acne," said Tam, who
works in a local public hospital. "Something was very wrong
with our little girl."
Despite the tests, Emily's conditions were reportedly so
complex that medics were unable to give a "definite
answer". She was considered a "diagnostic challenge" by
medics and was in "constant pain" from her growth. She
was eventually diagnosed with Addisons disease and is due
to start her treatment of hormone replacement therapy that
is a 3 monthly injection.
Tam said: "It is $1,455 (£1,105) per shot, and will throw her
into menopause, with all the side effects that 50+ year old
women have, and as we are both working, we are not
entitled to health care /pension card rebates. So this
treatment, along with her other many appointments and
therapies, are covered by us solely. We work full time each
and each time Emily is sick, it is days off, mostly without
pay, as we have exhausted all of our leave entitlements."
Like other girls her age, Emily wants to wear ball gowns,
dress up and run around. But she still struggles to go to the
toilet independently. Tam said although she and Matt, a
security guard, don't have a lot of family around them, they
are "blessed with some close friends".
"But through this we are mostly alone," she added.
The couple are said to be "at a loss financially", unable to
raise money for all of the treatment their daughter
desperately needs. Her parents Tam and Matt, 40, have
created a Go Fund Me page to help with her medical
expenses.
"What we are hoping is to raise some much needed money
to get Emily more treatments and to cover the costs of her
on going medical care," Tam wrote.
Since setting up the GoFundMe page a couple of weeks
ago, Emily's family have been approved a health card which
will help with the cost of medication. But "it still doesn't
provide access to NDIS (Australia's National Disability
Insurance Scheme) services."
Tam added that, today, her daughter regularly suffers from
"very painful" bone growth, sore and itchy breasts and
sensory issues. Some days, she wakes up with swellings on
her wrists and ankles.
Due to her condition, Emily suffers bullying at daycare and
will soon have to face "being the different kid" at primary
school and her parents fear that already.
More photos of Emily at different stages of her life below.
A little girl who grew breasts when she was just 2 years and
started her period at age 4 is now going through menopause
at just 5 years old.
Little Emily Dover was born a normal baby and even weighed
less than her older siblings did at birth but as the weeks
went by, she suddenly began experiencing "exceptional"
growth and also suffered from "constant health issues".
At 4 months, Emily was as tall as a 1-year-old. She was still
a toddler when she developed cystic acne, breast buds and
strong body odour and this left her parents shocked. The
first time she saw her period when she was 4 years old, she
had no idea what it was and thought she had pooed in her
undies. The little child was then taught how to put panty
liners on for menstruating.
"My foo foo is bleeding," Emily tells her parents whenever
she gets her period.
Within the past 12 months, she has grown hair on her
forehead, back and vagina. Now aged 5, she is going
through menopause and all the other often distressing
side effects that older women experience.
Her mum, Tam Dover from Gosford in Australia, told Mirror
Online her beautiful daughter is body conscious and aware
that she is different from other children her age but she
can't understand why.
Recalling the moment Emily started menstruating, Tam, 41,
said: "Because she has trouble toileting, she thought she
had done a poo in her undies. We used panty liners and it
didn't last more than a day."
She added: "She only had her period again the other
day. She hasn't even had a chance to be a little girl. She's
having to learn how to put panty liners on for menstruating."
She continued: "It's difficult to explain to her what is
happening. She knows she's different, she knows she's
much bigger than other children. She's very conscious of her
body."
Emily, who weighs around seven stone, was born perfect "in
every way". She was smaller than her older siblings had
been at birth.But after just a week, things took a turn for the
worse. She became unsettled, started crying out in pain and
had difficulty sleeping. She also started growing, rapidly.
Tam, who is also a mum to a 22-year-old and 20-year-old
said: "Emily is my youngest child and she was also my
smallest baby after birth. She was 8lbs. The child before her
was 10lbs. The first week was pretty normal. After that,
(things) turned quite bad, she wasn't sleeping well, was in
pain."
She was finally diagnosed with Addisons disease this
summer after years of doctor's trips and tests. The disorder
means her adrenal glands don't produce enough steroid
hormones. She also has central precocious puberty - where
puberty starts too early in children - congenital adrenal
hyperplasia and autism spectrum disorder. And she has
sensory processing disorder and anxiety disorder.
When Emily began suffering from constant health issues at
four months of age, doctors told the parents that the bouts
of sickness and infections was likely a virus contracted at
daycare. She also started complaining of painful breasts
and stomach cramps and her family was referred to the
Pediatric Acute Care Unit at Wyong Hospital. At the
hospital, a series of tests were run and Emily's hormone
levels came back as though she was a pregnant woman,
according to her mum.
"Emily was then 3 years of age; she had breast buds, strega
on her legs, excess body hair, and acne," said Tam, who
works in a local public hospital. "Something was very wrong
with our little girl."
Despite the tests, Emily's conditions were reportedly so
complex that medics were unable to give a "definite
answer". She was considered a "diagnostic challenge" by
medics and was in "constant pain" from her growth. She
was eventually diagnosed with Addisons disease and is due
to start her treatment of hormone replacement therapy that
is a 3 monthly injection.
Tam said: "It is $1,455 (£1,105) per shot, and will throw her
into menopause, with all the side effects that 50+ year old
women have, and as we are both working, we are not
entitled to health care /pension card rebates. So this
treatment, along with her other many appointments and
therapies, are covered by us solely. We work full time each
and each time Emily is sick, it is days off, mostly without
pay, as we have exhausted all of our leave entitlements."
Like other girls her age, Emily wants to wear ball gowns,
dress up and run around. But she still struggles to go to the
toilet independently. Tam said although she and Matt, a
security guard, don't have a lot of family around them, they
are "blessed with some close friends".
"But through this we are mostly alone," she added.
The couple are said to be "at a loss financially", unable to
raise money for all of the treatment their daughter
desperately needs. Her parents Tam and Matt, 40, have
created a Go Fund Me page to help with her medical
expenses.
"What we are hoping is to raise some much needed money
to get Emily more treatments and to cover the costs of her
on going medical care," Tam wrote.
Since setting up the GoFundMe page a couple of weeks
ago, Emily's family have been approved a health card which
will help with the cost of medication. But "it still doesn't
provide access to NDIS (Australia's National Disability
Insurance Scheme) services."
Tam added that, today, her daughter regularly suffers from
"very painful" bone growth, sore and itchy breasts and
sensory issues. Some days, she wakes up with swellings on
her wrists and ankles.
Due to her condition, Emily suffers bullying at daycare and
will soon have to face "being the different kid" at primary
school and her parents fear that already.
More photos of Emily at different stages of her life below.
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