Brooke Greenberg, a 20 year old woman who never aged, passed away. Brooke had a rare syndrome that doctors call Syndrome X. The disease prevented Brooke from growing beyond the physical size of an infant or the mental capacity of a toddler. Brooke was featured on many television specials and seemed to live a happy life in spite of her health problems.

Brooke suffered from many health emergencies over the years, and stunned doctors each time that she recovered. In most cases, doctors were not sure what allowed her to recover so easily. Throughout her life, Brooke was cared for by her parents, Howard and Melanie Greenberg, her three sisters and sometimes her grandparents and a nurse. Brooke could not talk but was able to express emotions.

When Brooke failed to develop properly, she was examined by some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the U.S. None of them were able to diagnose her with any known illness, disease or health problem. Doctor’s determined that her case was one of a kind and named her disease, Syndrome X. Although there are similar cases around the world, none of them have been studied as much as Brooke’s.

‘Various parts of her body, rather than all being at the same stage, seem to be disconnected,’ Dr. Richard Walker of the University of South Florida College of Medicine said in 2009. Doctors are hoping that her rare syndrome may help them learn more about the human body and how it ages.

Brooke’s funeral was held Sunday near her home in Baltimore.

‘While the outside world may have noticed Brooke’s physical stature and been puzzled by her unique development state, she brought joy and love to her family,’ Rabbi Andrew Busch said during his eulogy.

‘Her parents, three sisters and extended family showered her with love and respected her dignity throughout her entire life.’

Image from Twitter.