When you're a teenager, puberty seems like the worst thing in the world. Being a boy, I had to deal with my voice breaking, random hairs appearing on my face and, of course, an increased and uncontrollable sex drive. But, while we may look back at our puberty years and laugh, some people can't do the same.
Brandon Westfall is a 31-year-old male who has never hit puberty. The man suffers from a rare disorder that means that he has never started puberty and has previously been featured The Doctors in 2013, where he spoke about his condition.
Describing the impact that his lack of puberty has had on his life, Brandon says:
"I have no dating life at all. I have no sex drive at all. I like women, but I don't really have the drive to pursue them.
"I don't like to go out in public, I don't like to be seen. If I apply for a job they think I look younger and they don't hire me."
Not much was seen of the young man after the show, however, he appeared on a Reddit thread a while ago to give an update on his life and give a little more information on his condition.
"When I was younger I always knew in the back of my mind there was something wrong with my body but never really thought to look into it until my late teens," wrote Brandon.
"I needed to get a physical exam completed in order to join my high school soccer team.
"While visiting the doctor I asked him why I had not hit puberty, he essentially blew the subject off and told me I was a late bloomer.
"I never really put much thought into things after that and focused on school/work."
However, once he hit his twenties, Brandon began to notice that something wasn't quite right and decided to do some research.
"Over the years I had been through some very rough times (divorce, unable to find employment, as well as being homeless for nearly two years in Carson City, NV) and dealt with bouts of depression due to lack of work and relationship problems.
"Eventually I decided I needed to research what was wrong with me.
"After several months of research, I diagnosed myself with Kallmann's Syndrome."
Kallmann syndrome is a genetic condition where the primary symptom is a failure to start puberty or a failure to fully complete it. Obviously shocked by the news, Brandon decided to reach out to various shows in order to try and get some help footing his medical bills.
After getting onto The Doctors, he was given the option to remain anonymous but decided not to take it.
"After a lot of consideration, I decided this was not an option for me. I knew I was not the only one living this nightmare and I wanted people to see how it affected my life on a daily basis."
After initially being put in contact with an endocrinologist in Tennessee by the name of Edward Kim, Brandon didn't have a reliable mode of transport to see the doctor so ended up losing touch with him.
Back home now, the man says that he is now trying to pay for his medical bills himself, but he is struggling to afford it.
"Over the past two years, I have been on TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) on three separate occasions for 2-3 months at a time.
"Each time I start treatment the cost of seeing a doctor frequently, blood work, and the medication itself gets overwhelming.
"I've tried applying for medical assistance but I have been denied every time as they do not feel my condition is severe enough.
"In addition to Kallmann's Syndrome, I also suffer from very frequent, severe muscle spasms which prevent me from doing physical work."
Brandon is currently working as a customer service representative in America and has set up GoFundMe to help him pay for the medical costs.
Hopefully, Brandon will be able to get the help he needs in order to deal with the condition.