Boy born with only 2% brain surprises doctors
The human brain is indeed a fascinating organ and much of its capacity still represents a real mystery to scientists. One of the most interesting concepts involving the brain is neuroplasticity. It is the ability of this organ to reorganize its cells after damage, allowing the person to maintain their brain performance.
In some cases, neuroplasticity manages to make the serious damage suffered by a person to be overcome in a surprising way — and this characteristic is even more present in children. In 2018, a case made headlines in American newspapers. A boy had a sixth of his brain removed in surgery and still retained abilities that doctors believed would be lost.
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The child was 10 years old at the time and his identity has not been released. She had suffered from severe seizures since the age of 6 caused by the presence of a benign tumor in her brain. Surgery was the last possibility of treatment, as it would have sequelae to the child. In fact, the boy lost his left vision.
However, doctors also believed that he would no longer be able to recognize faces, as the part associated with this ability had to be removed. Surprisingly, the patient’s brain was able to maintain this function through neuroplasticity. In an interview with CBS News, Dr. Steven Wolf, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, commented on the case: “If we get to these kids when they are young enough, before they have established their permanent paths, the brain is plastic enough to adapt and overcome.”
Boy who only had 2% of his brain dreams of playing football Another case that illustrates the brain’s ability to regenerate is the story of little Noah Wall. During pregnancy, the child’s parents were informed that the fetus had a series of diseases, such as spina bifida, which would affect the child’s ability to walk, in addition to the presence of a cyst in the brain. At birth, another bad news: Noah was born practically without a brain, with only 2% of the organ.
However, the human body’s ability to regenerate surprised doctors. Today, Noah is 9 years old and can communicate, in addition to understanding mathematical concepts. Many bodily functions, such as breathing, could have been affected by the severe brain damage, but they did not. Although he still needs the help of a wheelchair to get around, little Noah dreams of being able to play football one day — and, considering his history, who’s to say that won’t be possible, right?
