Many moms dream about freezing time to keep their kids young forever. But for the parents of Brooke Greenberg, the woman dubbed a 20-year-old toddler, the dream is more of a nightmare. Their little girl is technically an adult, but you wouldn't know it to look at her.
She's just 16 pounds. She's not even 2 feet tall. And her story is giving moms everywhere a new perspective on watching their kids grow up.
Introduced on Katie Couric's talk show this week, Brooke's parents explained that her body stopped aging 15 years ago. She's plagued by a rare disease that even doctors can't put their finger on:
On the one hand, it sounds like exactly what we want: to keep our kids little so they won't go off and leave us, so we can enjoy them forever. The other day I was sucked into that kind of thinking as I poured through old photos of my daughter. Her chubby cheeks are gone along with her pudgy fingers, and those pictures were like a punch in the gut. It was a visceral reminder that she's growing up, that she's going to leave me one day.
But all it took was one look at Brooke to make me snap out of that self pity. My daughter is growing up because that's what is SUPPOSED to happen, that's the way life is supposed to be.
We all like to think of our kids as "ours," but the fact is, they're not. If anything, we are theirs, and we have the gift of being able to raise them to adulthood. We are LUCKY.
Put yourself in the Greenberg's shoes. Does this make you feel lucky that your kids are growing up?
Image via Katie
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Comments 19
I can only imagine how hard this must be for her parents/siblings;seeing their loved one miss out on all life's opportunities and milestones and the sharing of those moments with her. I am VERY thankful that I have been able to (and hopefully will be able to continue for a long time)experience so many moments,good and bad, that have helped/are helping shape my child into the person they will be as an adult...I can't wait to see and share their future and all it entails and I'm very sorry for any parent who doesn't get to have those experiences.I'm also very glad that Brooke is surrounded by such a loving and nurturing family.
Introduced on Katie Couric? I watched a documentary on this girl years ago.
My first thought is that these parents will always be caregivers until they are too old to do it anymore, or have passed on. Essentially we're all caregivers when our kids are little, but we know it's for a good cause--we're helping them to grow up, and that is the reward. As they become teenagers we find a little more time to do the things we enjoyed before being parents--certain hobbies and sports we'd forgotten about, and as much as we love our kids, we also look forward to the day when we'll be having some fun and free time again, and then, hopefully, grandparents. My heart goes out to these poor parents. They have nothing to look forward to.
Until she's 22, the school district will provide year round 'schooling' for her. Unfortunately, when she turns 22, that will end and the parents will once again be responsible for 24 hour care. How exhausting.
How can you say these parents have nothing to look forward to? Is their parenting experience different? Of course it is. As you watch the video you can see they get excited as Brooke makes small changes like noticing them and her surroundings. They also have three other children who will help them enjoy various life experiences. Havng a special needs child is not the end of the world and clearly they have adapted to the role and found joy in their child. It seems to me like they have plenty to look forward to.
It's a BLOG, not a news station.