Ladies, here’s what you’ve been waiting for: the real life Cullens. Ok, so, not very much like Edward Cullen, played famously by the sparkly Robert Pattinson from the “Twilight” films. These unfortunate brothers, Simon and George Cullen from Suffolk suffer from the rare condition known as Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (HED). Like the fictional (?) vampires, they cannot be exposed to much light, as they have the inability to sweat and can overheat easily. More startlingly, they can never grow a full set of teeth and only have sharp fangs.
The poor kids have had a tough life, as you might expect, with pretty much no going outside during the day, the attention from mean-spirited kids, and not as many shrieking fangirls clamoring for their attention as they may have been led to believe from popular culture. “Kids make fun of the way we look. But our mates think its cool. My friends keep trying to get me to change my name to Edward like the character in the Twilight film.”
The brothers make the best of it: hey, they get to stay in and play video games all day with no complaints. But the eldest, Simon, has had trouble eating with his teeth structure. “We’re hoping he’ll be suitable for a bone graft,” said Mandy. “Part of his jaw will be replaced with bone from his leg, which will have artificial teeth drilled into it. It will be painful, but it will give him a smile and we’re looking forward to it.”
…I think I’d stick with my fangs and soup rather than go through that.