He has an abnormality of the 12th chromosome that's caused his bones, teeth and organs to grow at a phenomenal pace.
Only 2 percent of the population has what geneticists call a balanced chromosomal inversion — that is, they have the right amount of genetic material but some of it gets rearranged when cells divide during the earliest stages of development.
Brenden sleeps on a10-foot-long bed. His orthopedic shoes cost $800 and his custom-made blue jeans cost $150 a pair.
Because Brenden can't easily bend his knees or ankles, the local fire department donated a lift chair, the kind that electronically powers him into a sitting or standing position.
While Brenden's physical comfort is improving, his medical prognosis remains uncertain. Last year, he had a dozen molars pulled and underwent an experimental treatment to speed up puberty, fuse his growth plates together and stop him from getting any taller.
It seems to have worked. But while his bones might have stopped growing, it's unclear whether his internal organs have followed suit.
A picture of my cave
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