This little girl is 5 years old and is already in menopause

A 5-year-old girl living in South Australia is catching the attention of the world because of a rare condition that made her enter puberty when she was just 4 years old.

Because of Addison's disease, Emily Dover already has developed breasts, acne, pubic hair and even menstruation. "She didn't even get a chance to be a child, " said the girl's mother, Tam, in a statement published in The Independent.

Because she is so much bigger than her classmates, Emily understands that she is different from other children and suffers from it, but she still has no idea what actually happens. From her first week of life, the girl began to grow rapidly and, when she was 4 months old, her size was compatible with that of a 1 year old.

Hormonal dysfunction

By the age of 2, she has started to develop breasts and pimples on her skin, typical of puberty. Addison's disease was diagnosed when she was 4 years old.

The condition is a result of a disorder in the adrenal glands, and Emily is deficient in the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. The disease is more common in adults over 30 and, when it affects children, ends up triggering precocious puberty. The treatment, then, is being done for the girl to go through menopause.

In addition to all the physical and hormonal issues, the girl is autistic and has anxiety disorder. To help out, Emily's mother has set up a crowdfunding fundraiser to raise hormone replacement for her daughter.