A US man finally tracked down his birth mother – to find out she is a a world-famous bearded lady.
Richard Lorenc, 33, has been reunited with Vivian Wheeler, 62, who once worked in a circus sideshow.
After six weeks of investigating, the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services put him in touch with his mother.
Ms Wheeler inherited her mother’s condition of hypertrichosis, also known as werewolf syndrome, which manifests itself through the growth of excessive facial hair from a very early age.
She was also born a hermaphrodite, with both male and female reproductive organs.
Upon seeing her baby’s facial fuzz and genitalia, her mother – who wanted a girl – instructed the doctor to remove the male parts.
Meanwhile, her father – despite being embarrassed by his daughter’s condition – sent her to work in sideshows as a five-year-old girl and earning up to $1,000 a month to be sent home to her family.
Eventually she was recognised by ‘The Guinness Book of Records’ for having the longest beard ever grown by a female: an impressive 11 inches.
Her son Richard was taken from Vivian when he was three and was adopted at age seven.
Ms Wheeler is now considering leaving her home of Bakersfield in California to live closer to her son in Kansas.
December 5th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
You are the guy. Simply the best!