Something that is inevitable on this planet for humans is falling sick. We often catch a cold, sore throat, and sometimes other nasty health problems and it is a misfortune when someone is diagnosed with a serious illness, something rare or incurable. However, you won’t believe that some diseases are exceedingly so rare and peculiar that they can make a person turn into a superhuman by giving them abilities that are otherwise not possible for a normal person to possess. It seems like they have found a genie-in-a-bottle who has granted them some kind of superpowers and turned they into supernatural beings. Umm or maybe not if you think again!
Here is the list to get you acquainted to some of them:
Super Memory – Hyperthymesia
Most of us can’t even remember important dates of our lives such as anniversaries, birthdays, etc. Then there are these people with Hyperthymesia who can recall any event with every minute detail from the past and even from the earliest childhood days. Whoa! They can even recite extracts, as it is, from books that were read long ago by them. I don’t even remember what I ate yesterday but these dudes are really on something. On the downside, people with Hyperthymesia cannot also forget the unpleasant moments from the past, doesn’t matter how much they want to! Aww, I feel you buddy!
Insensitivity To Pain – Inborn Analgesia
People with this disease cannot feel any kind of physical pain, not even when they are stabbed with a knife. Poor chaps can’t even excuse a sick day off from work for having a headache. Jokes apart, do you think a painless existence is super cool, like not even feeling a headache and being a superhero such as Terminator or X-men? Well, think again! Pain is an important signal that the brain sends us to inform about the underlying disease or problem. Not feeling pain doesn’t mean that the bruises, burns, or internal damages are not present in the body. Do you think this unawareness is good? I highly doubt! Being this kind of superhero is no fun. It is dangerous for children as they may even fail to notice a broken bone, in case.
Ability To Do Anything – Savant Syndrome
This is extremely rare but an extraordinary condition that makes geniuses in disguise. These people are uncannily gifted with certain abilities with inadequacy in other abilities. They are like walking calendars and calculators with an astonishing memory. They can tell you the day of the week for any given date and can instantly multiply three-digit numbers and solve complex maths problems easily. Genius, ain’t it? However, these unique abilities are limited to only five areas – art, music, spatial visualization ability, calendar calculation, and lighting calculation. Being a superhero comes with a price. This extraordinary ability is usually developed by those who already have serious mental disorders like Autism and Asperger’s syndrome. But this doesn’t make them less of a superhuman, eh!
Fearless – Urbach Wiethe Disease
Whether we admit it or not, we all are afraid of something or the other. We have only seen superheroes in the movies who are not scared of anything. Being fearless is like a dream which has come true for some. They are the heroes who know no fear – wild animals, darkness, haunted places – nothing scares them off. They must be living a superhero life. Maybe not really, as they lack the ability to depict danger and may fall into traps or become victims of some crime.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
Let’s accept that we all have tried speaking in a foreign accent for fun. But there are people who do not even have to try, yet they suddenly start speaking in a foreign accent. Not even in one accent, they may switch from one accent to another, sometimes even simultaneously. It seems like they can mimic any accent even if they haven’t been to that country. This is a type of speech disorder that is caused by damage to the brain because of a traumatic injury or stroke. These people place their tongue differently during speaking, which results in a changed accent.
Sleep Mutation
Can you survive without sleep? Last time I slept for 5 hours I was incredibly exhausted the next day. What about you? Well, there are these superheroes with genetic mutations who can manage to function normally even with less than 6 hours of sleep. They still feel energetic, recharged, and wide awaked the day after. Well, this is the real superpower I wish I had one. Who doesn’t want to feel fully rested even after 4 hours of sleep, with 20 hours of the day in hand to do whatever they want?
So, which superpower did you like the most, or which syndrome did you find to be most shocking? Have you ever come across anyone who is going through similar conditions? Or do you know some other disease that makes a human being extraordinary?
