Menopause at 15, 30-year-old woman lives with the skeleton of an old man

(Dan Tri) - Ovarian failure syndrome caused a British girl to go through menopause at the age of 15, losing the chance to become a mother and having to live with the skeleton of a woman over 70.

Frankie Parker (30 years old, living in Croydon, England), was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure (POI) when she was only 15 years old. This is a rare condition that causes the ovaries to stop working before the age of 40.

Frankie grew up without ever having a period. During her teenage years, she felt ashamed and self-conscious, especially living with a single father and having no one to share her body abnormalities with.

"I used to leave the room every time my friends mentioned periods," Frankie recalls.

Since her teens, she has experienced the full spectrum of menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, mood swings, joint pain, and brain fog. Also due to the lack of estrogen, Frankie has osteoporosis, which leads to serious injuries even when she is performing simple activities.

"I broke my foot and shoulder after a minor fall while rollerblading. The doctor said I had the skeleton of a 75-year-old," she recalled.

Image of Frankie's broken shoulder (Photo: SWNS).

In addition to POI, Frankie also suffered from a series of other underlying diseases such as type 1 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and chronic kidney disease... which made endocrine treatment more complicated. For many years, the girl had to use hormone replacement but the symptoms of menopause still did not improve.

Overcoming her inferiority complex, Frankie and her boyfriend Shawn Gowan began their journey to find the opportunity to become parents through in vitro fertilization (IVF) with donor eggs in 2019.

However, this journey was quickly interrupted when she was judged unfit to carry a child, with doctors concerned that POI would increase her risk of ovarian cancer and early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Frankie was put on a two-year waiting list at a menopause clinic, receiving no treatment and struggling with hot flashes and mood swings.

"We hadn't had time to choose donor eggs when the Covid-19 outbreak broke out, everything was stalled and I almost went crazy," she shared.

It wasn’t until March 2024 that Frankie was prescribed hormone replacement gel. By the end of 2024, after several tests, she was switched to hormone patches to stabilize her hormones.

However, doctors still discouraged Frankie from continuing with IVF due to the high health risks. She and her boyfriend decided to switch to adoption. Currently, she is focusing on taking care of herself, preparing for a trip to Thailand to "relive the 20 years lost to illness".

"Despite all the ups and downs, I still hope one day I will become a mother," Frankie shared.

According to the Mayo Clinic, premature ovarian failure occurs when the ovaries stop functioning properly before age 40, leading to decreased estrogen production and ovulation problems. This condition leads to infertility in women and increases the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and other health problems.

The disease can originate from genetic factors, autoimmune disorders, during cancer treatment or even unknown causes.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/man-kinh-tu-nam-15-tuoi-nguoi-phu-nu-30-tuoi-song-voi-bo-xuong-cua-cu-gia-20250508154820542.htm