Niamh Shackleton
A man has opened up on the realities of living with Kallmann Syndrome — a rare genetic disorder Adolf Hitler's believed to have had.
A new documentary about the dictator looked into his DNA. Hitler killed himself with a fatal gunshot wound after learning that Germany had lost World War II.
He was in a bunker in Berlin at the time of his death and he was then reportedly partially destroyed in a fire, but blood samples were taken from a couch that was by the scene of Hitler's suicide.
When tested, these samples signaled that Hitler could have had Kallmann Syndrome, a condition that affects the production of hormones that support sexual development and, sometimes, even the sense of smell.
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In men with the syndrome, they may find they end up developing a small penis and testicles. In some cases, men may end up with a micropenis (manhood that measures less than three inches long as an adult).
In the wake of the news, a living man with Kallmann Syndrome has opened up about what it's like living with it.
Neil Smith told the Metro: "I didn’t get the muscle or hair growth, if you see my graduation photograph, I still look about 15. I knew I wasn’t developing, but I assumed it’d happen at some stage."
In Neil's case, he has a smaller than average penis that measures around four inches.
Neil, 55, explained: "Most people with my condition look completely normal and the micropenis and undescended testicles aren’t a hallmark of our condition – it’s down to your genetics and how severe your syndrome is."
Speaking on Hitler having the condition, the biomedical scientist shared: "We should be looking at whether Hitler had a sense of smell because that’s the main symptom.
"The coverage has been worrying and sensationalised – I’ve been talking to other people with Kallmann’s syndrome who are worried and annoyed their condition is seen as just [having a micropenis] – it’s not like that for everyone."
Neil was born without a sense of smell and he largely doesn't mind this but did admit that he gets food poisoning at least once a year.
He said: "It’s tricky with food – I get very bad food poisoning at least once a year, because I can’t smell if the milk has gone off. I can’t smell burning if I leave the oven on, either."