When you’re a mutant in the Marvel comic book X-Men, you get selected to attend a special school where you learn how to harness your powers and (hopefully) save the world from the bad guys. In real life, having rare genetic conditions won’t give you the ability to shoot lasers out of your eyes or give you immortality, but if you’re lucky it can lead to 15 minutes of fame. Here are 8 unique children who stand out from the rest.
Nariyana — Siberian Snow White
11-year-old Nariyana, from the city of Yakutia in Russian Siberia, has been given the nickname the Siberian Snow White because of her pale complexion and stunning white hair. This is due to her being born with albinism, a condition that has left her without any pigmentation. Her unique appearance has led to a whole lot of modeling agencies begging to sign her, but as long as she’s a child her parents have decided it’s not in her best interest to work. When asked what she would like to do when she’s old enough to make that decision, modeling is her answer. So perhaps she’ll still get to live that dream someday.
Muin Bachonaev — Boy With Insanely Long Eyelashes
When 13-year-old Muin walks the streets of Moscow, people have a tendency to stare. It’s because of his 2-inch long eyelashes. The child of Tajik immigrants, when Bachonaev was born his eyelashes were touching his lips! According to medical experts, it’s likely his condition was caused by maternity drugs his mother was taking. Fortunately, there are no negative health effects associated with his unusually long eyelashes. So does he want to be an eyelash model someday? Of course not, silly! Those aren’t even a thing. His ultimate dream is to be a professional soccer player.
Tessa Evans — The Girl Born Without a Nose
When you first look at little Tessa from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, your first thought might be, “There’s something missing, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Just kidding. You immediately notice she’s got no nose. Born with the extremely rare condition known as congenital arhinia, she has neither sinus cavity nor the sense of smell. She does have a surgically-implanted bump that will eventually make way for a real nose once she reaches her teenage years.
Kenadie Jourdin-Bromley — The Smallest Child in the World
Back in 2003 when the Canadian-born Jourdin-Bromley came home from the hospital for the first time, her parents Brianne and Court assumed the baby with primordial dwarfism wouldn’t have much time to enjoy this world. But here we are 18 years later and one of the world’s smallest humans is doing fine. When she was 4 years old, she was slightly more than 2 feet tall and weighed 10 pounds, which is around the same weight as a 1-month old. Today she’s a bit more than 3 feet tall and even landed a few acting gigs!
Niraj Budhathoki — Werewolf Boy
Are werewolves a real thing? Nope. But one look at Niraj Budhathoki, a Nepalese boy born with a rare condition called Congenital Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa, and you would almost have no choice but to believe. Covered from head to toe in hair, he’s dubbed the boy with “werewolf syndrome.” He’s not the only one though. His mother and some of his siblings also suffer from the condition. Is there no recourse? In fact, there is. Laser treatment! Some of his family members have opted for hair removal so that annoying folks will stop trying to communicate with them through howls. Unfortunately, the hair does grow back, so they’ll have to continue to do this from time to time.
Jare Ljalana — The World’s Most Beautiful Child
When you look at photos of little Jare Ljalana from Nigeria, you could be forgiven if you mistake her for a doll. That’s how unreal she looks. But, no, she’s an actual living, breathing child who just happens to hold the title of the most beautiful girl in the world. It all started when her mother posted three portraits of her on Instagram, and they quickly went viral, generating tens of thousands of likes. Not surprisingly, she’s signed to a modeling agency, along with her sisters Joba and Joma.
Arya Permana — Formerly the World’s Most Obese Child
There was a time when Arya Permana of Indonesia was regarded as the fattest child in the world, weighing in at a portly 423lb (192kg) at the age of 10, literally making him heavier than even the biggest NFL linemen. Mundane activities like walking to school and even showering were a challenge. He was legitimately looking at a very short lifespan. But things have taken a dramatic turn for the better. After a combination of weight loss surgery, making better food choices and getting exercise, he’s already managed to shed 220. So it appears he’s well on his way to a normal life.
Johncris Carl Quirante — Shark Boy
A typical child has a set of 20 teeth. But Johncris Carl Quirante was anything but typical. Much like sharks, the Filipino boy had as many as 300 teeth until his mother was able to raise enough money to start the process of removing them. Unfortunately, taking out all those excess teeth isn’t something that can be done in a single afternoon. In the course of two surgeries, they’ve managed to extract 94 of them, but he will ultimately need 5 additional surgeries in order to take them all out.
