Over the years, I’ve heard many stories of young mothers, but Lina Medina’s stands out as a shocking reminder of the mysteries of the human body. Despite scientific advancements, cases like hers continue to astonish.

Lina, born in 1933 in a poor Peruvian village, became the youngest confirmed mother in history at just five years, seven months, and 21 days old. Her pregnancy was discovered when her family suspected she had a tumor, but doctors in Pisco and Lima confirmed she was seven months pregnant. On May 14, 1939, Lina gave birth via C-section to a healthy son named Gerardo.

The circumstances were harrowing. Authorities investigated her father, a mentally ill brother, and a family gardener, but no one was ever charged. Lina, believed to have a rare hormonal disorder, had started menstruating at eight months old and entered puberty by age four.

Lina couldn’t care for her child, so Gerardo was raised as her brother. She later married and had a second child at age 38. Despite her resilience, her first son died at 40, and Lina lived a challenging life. Efforts to secure a promised lifetime grant only succeeded decades later, and she became increasingly reclusive.

Now 91, Lina has never spoken publicly about her ordeal. Her story is both extraordinary and deeply unsettling, as justice for her suffering was never served.