Justin Bieber Helps Girl With Rare Medical Condition Defy the Odds (VIDEO)
Megan Ham, 11-Year-Old From Vancouver, Wash., Diagnosed With Lissencephaly Is a 'Belieber'
A young girl with a rare disease known as Lissencephaly has been receiving "life-saving" help from none other than international tween heartthrob Justin Bieber.
Megan Ham, an 11-year-old from Vancouver, Wash. was diagnosed with the rare neurological disease at birth, but has seen her quality of life improve and has been defying medical odds ever since she discovered the music of the young heartthrob.
"It really helps her get through the day. It keeps her happy and it keeps her comfortable," Megan's teacher Kim Graves told KPTV news station.
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"It's a good thing to see her so relaxed," Graves added.
Only 1,500 children worldwide have been diagnosed with Lissencephaly. Most children with Lissencephaly are severally neurologically impaired and often die within the first several months after birth. Those who survive past their first few months of life never intellectually develop past the levels of a three or five-month-old.
When Megan was born doctors told her parents that she would never be able to recognize them, walk, talk, or display any type of emotion – but one day while Megan was at school and Justin Bieber songs were being played on the radio, the fifth-grader astonishingly responded to the sounds.
After hearing Bieber's music the 11-year-old began to kick her feet and smile. She now recognizes Bieber's music and displays positive emotions whenever she listens to it – a feat Megan's parents never thought she would achieve.
"We never thought we would feel that, from what the doctors said at the beginning. This has really opened up a lot of doors," the 11-year-old's father Michael Ham shared with KPTV. "It makes me want to cry, she's happy and she's healthy, and it's a pretty big deal."
"She just can't get enough of him," Megan's mother added.
Bieber, 18, soon caught wind of the news and on Tuesday promised to meet the 11-year-old while on tour in Portland.
"MEGAN you stay strong for me and I'm gonna make sure we meet when I come to Portland. Love you and Thank you," the singer tweeted.
Watch a video report on Megan Ham and how she responds to Bieber's music.
