What Is Prader-Willi Syndrome? Rare Condition Leaves 7-Year-Old Constantly Starving

A seven-year-old girl from the city of Kingston upon Hull, England, is suffering from a rare disorder which leaves her feeling constantly hungry. Her mother is forced to ignore her daughter’s screams for food because she fears she might face severe health issues including obesity if she gives in.

Megan Fitzgerald was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome at just five weeks old. Since then, the girl has been sobbing and screaming for constant feeding.

"We were told that she had a chromosome abnormality, but it wasn't until a few weeks later that we were told it was Prader-Willi syndrome. Alongside the need to eat, the condition also means that Megan has learning difficulties, so all of her milestones were delayed,” her mother Tracy said, Daily Mail reported.

According to Mayo Clinic, Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare disorder which is characterized by food craving, weight gain, weak muscle tone, feeding difficulties, poor growth, and delayed development. These symptoms may slowly change over time. Though the exact mechanisms responsible for the disorder haven't been identified, it is caused by problems in genes located in a particular region of chromosome 15.

"She was out of hospital by the time she was six-months-old, but it wasn't until she was three years old that she could walk by herself. And by the age of four Megan would eat at any given opportunity and would have up to six times the amount of other children — which is why I need to restrict what she eats. As she's grown older she's continued with her need to eat and will try and get her hands on any food she can find, but over the years we've found new ways to distract her,” Tracy added.

The woman said she was forced to ignore her daughter’s breakdowns and wouldn’t even discuss food around her.

"When I tell her that she cannot have any more food she immediately starts to cry and scream, but I can't give in and feed her. She's got a set routine of when she can eat and, as a family, we all have to stick to that so she doesn't even see anyone else eating food as it would trigger her,” Tracy explained.

"We hardly ever go out for food because she cannot cope with other people's food being served if hers is not ready — it really upsets her. It is absolutely heartbreaking every time she has a breakdown and it's not a mothers reaction to ignore her, but it has to be done,” she continued.

Despite her best efforts to keep Megan away from food, she is now considering locking all the cupboards in order to stop her from eating everything in sight. This was because the girl is now at the age where she can find ways to get food herself.

“Although I can distract her most of the time, I cannot be there every second of the day. A few months ago Megan helped herself to a handful of her brothers birthday cake, which she had already had a small slither of just moments earlier, it had been left out of the way in the kitchen but obviously not far enough from her reach, she saw an opportunity and she took it. I didn't want to put locks on our kitchen cupboard and fridge, but it's looking more and more likely that I'm going to have to,” she said.

"No food is ever left on show for her to see, we have to completely avoid food at social events and we can't even whisper anything about food as it will set her off,” she said.