Doctors were stunned by the young woman’s birth, puzzled by how she had managed to stay alive before entering the world. After visiting several medical experts who couldn’t explain her symptoms, she finally got a clear diagnosis in her mid-twenties.

This famed motivational speaker has opened up about her journey with a rare condition that has captured worldwide attention. Despite eating large amounts of food, her body does not retain weight. Her story began when she was born four weeks early, weighing only two pounds and ten ounces, with barely any amniotic fluid surrounding her.

Her mother, Rita, once a church secretary, recalled in an interview, “They told us they had no idea how she could have survived. At first, doctors considered De Barsy syndrome as a possible cause, but they dismissed it when they noticed she did not have learning difficulties. Despite countless tests and specialist visits, her condition remained a mystery.

Rita, who kept detailed notes about her daughter’s medical journey in dozens of notebooks, shared, “They kept on trying to figure out what was wrong with her but we treated her like any other child.”

Her condition drew global medical interest and led to her participation in a study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, led by Professor Abhimanyu Garg. His team suspected she had Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome (NPS), a disorder that causes rapid aging, fat loss, and tissue issues. While each case differs, doctors were hopeful since she had healthy teeth, organs, and bones. Her future remained uncertain, but research on her condition continued.