This woman's head is three times larger than normal due to this rare disease

In Brazil, a woman was born with a malformation that should have killed her after only a few months. 29 years later, she is still alive thanks to her mother's constant care. But her congenital condition has caused her head to swell abnormally.

A head three times bigger than average

Graziely Alves Regis was born in Brazil 29 years ago. A few weeks before she was born, doctors performed an ultrasound on her mother, who was suffering from severe stomach pains.

This is how they discovered that Graziely had a congenital malformation, making her head grow very large. This condition earned her the nickname 'giant baby'. Her mother said to the Daily Mail:

I don't think it's cruel because "baby" is an affectionate word, but when they call out her "big head" I feel sad. But the important thing is that me, and all our family and friends, love Graziely the way she is.

To take care of her daughter, Adalgisa Soares Alves, her mother, has put everything aside. But thanks to her care, affection, and attention, Graziely Alves Régis has defied all the odds and is expected to blow out her 30th birthday candle (doctors thought she would not live more than 3 months).

Read more ⋙ Doctors find this inside woman's skin and brain after she suffered from severe headaches

This tweet translates to: Graziely Alves Régis was born with hydrocephalus and, unlike other cases, this one is quite serious. When she was born, doctors said she would only have 3 months to live, but today she is 29 years old. 🙏🏻

Read more:

⋙ Doctors shocked after finding a foetus growing inside a newborn baby's head

⋙ Doctors shocked to find this in teenage boy's head after he complained of headaches

Congenital Hydrocephalus

Graziely Alves Régis suffers from hydrocephalus, a disease that consists of an accumulation of fluid in the skull. It is this fluid that causes the abnormal enlargement of the head.

To this day, there is no treatment, and Graziely's condition is unfortunately not getting any better: unable to walk and talk, she unfortunately also lost her sight a short time ago. Courageous, her mother said:

I don't work, I just take care of her — I'm happy to take care of her and it is rewarding when I see her smile.

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Daily Mail: 'Woman's head has TRIPLED in size due to life-threatening condition which has left 29-year-old blind, bed-bound and unable to talk'