Everyone would tremble in fear when faced with shocking scenarios like standing on a high cliff, near-death experiences and almost being attacked by snakes. However, a woman hidden in the initials, SM, has been under study by scientists for 15 years. She is biologically unable to feel fear due to a rare genetic disorder called Urbach-Wiethe disease.
She does not panic even when faced with scary incidents like being held at gunpoint. She even almost died when her first husband beaten her and was once faced with a venomous snake. She simply isn't scared of anything at all. When asked to define fear, she said she has no idea what fear is.
When she was a little girl, she once felt fear but that is the only time she can remember the feeling of being scared. The scientists who are studying her case have hidden her information from the public to protect her privacy.
Yet, this time, Dr. Daniel Tranel of the University of Iowa was the one who interviewed the woman and it was passed to journalists at NPR radio station.
SM, 44 and mother of three, recalled an incident when she was held at knife point one time when she was with her kids. A man called her and grabbed her by the shirt. He held a knife to her throat and threatened to cut her. She was not scared and said, "Go ahead and cut me. I'll be coming back, and I'll hunt your ass".
Urbach-Wiethe disease, which is also known as lipoid proteinosis and hyalinosis cutis et mucosae, is a rare genetic disorder and up to date, there are only 400 cases reported since it was discovered.
Symptoms of this disease vary from one person to another which may include hoarse voice, lesions and scarring on the skin, easily damaged skin, poor wound healing, dry, wrinkly skin, and beading of the papules around the eyelids.
In SM's case, hardening of parts of the brain caused her to biologically unable to feel fear. Her amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for feelings like fear has wasted away. Ironically, she is also unable to detect a fearful facial expression of another person.
Now, scientists are looking into SM's case to find a way to treat others with traumatic memories like soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.