5-Year-Old Builds "Rope Of Hair" In Her Intestines

Millie Wallis is five years old and enjoys chewing on her hair. Unfortunately, her chewing habit almost killed her, as the hair she swallowed somehow formed a “rope-like structure” that became entangled with her organs.

Doctors refer to Millie’s condition as “Rapunzel Syndrome,” and note that though it’s incredibly dangerous, it’s also quite rare. Millie’s mother, Lisa Wallis, tells the Daily Mail that she was horrified to learn of her daughter’s condition, but relieved that the doctors had finally pinpointed the cause of Millie’s frequent stomach problems. “The hair was cutting through her bowel and had it perforated it, Millie would have died,” Wallis says, “It was painstaking work as he had to totally re-plumb her digestive system so the food could bypass the damaged area of her bowel. Thankfully Millie has now made a good recovery. She has also promised not to eat her hair any more.” [DailyMail]