She's Born With A Medical Condition That Makes Her Arms Swell

18-month-old Madison Gatlin was born with a massive tumor in her upper body. The little girl was born with the genetic condition, CLOVES (Congenital, Lipomatous Overgrowth, Vascular Malformations, Epidermal Nevi & Spinal/Skeletal/Seizures).

For Madison, her condition caused lymphatic fluid to collect in her arms and chest, causing the region to swell up in size.

“The majority of her upper body and arms are filled with lymphatic fluid that her body is unable to drain back down into her bloodstream – leading to cystic masses developing in those areas,” Madison’s mother, Joni, explained.

“Particularly in her right arm, the mass is currently the size of a small watermelon, it will continue to grow with her body based upon her height and weight.”

Doctors first discovered Madison’s condition during Joni’s 15-week ultrasound. They warned Joni that there was a high chance Madison wouldn’t survive birth, and if she did, her growth and mobility would be severely stunted due to this condition.

Madison, however, has proven everybody wrong and is now even learning to walk on her own – despite her unbalanced body weight.

“The upper half of her body looks like she's gained weight and it makes her look like a bodybuilder, she's like a ‘baby Hulk,’” Joni joked.

The nickname originally began as a joke for the family.

Daily Mail via Caters News Agency

But when Madison went out one time and began interacting with two twin boys around her age, they immediately wanted to know “what was wrong with her.”

Joni didn’t want her daughter to be teased or shunned because of her medical condition, so she made up a story.

“I told [the boys Madison’s] daddy was the Hulk and they thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she said. “After I told them she was the Hulk's daughter they wanted to be her best friend. I don't want people to be scared of my daughter, there's nothing wrong with her, she just has a gene malfunction.”

The Gatlin family is currently raising money in hopes of someday finding a proper, complete cure of Madison’s condition so she can lead a normal, happy life.