Firecracker Films has this fascinating feature on Shiloh Pepin of Portland, Maine who lives with one of the rarest conditions known to human kind. Referred to commonly as “the mermaid syndrome”, Shiloh suffers from what is known as Sirenomelia, a condition that essentially leaves her with both of her legs fused together.

Shiloh Pepin is 1 of only about 8 cases in all of history to have lived with the disease. She is now 9 years old (as of August 2008) and on the verge of a major decision in her life — to separate her legs or to leave them as is. Shiloh and her dad reportedly want to keep her legs as one while her mother wants them separated.

When Shiloh was born she had no rectum, no uterus, no genitalia, no bladder, 6 inches of large colon, and only a quarter of her kidney. Her doctor, Dr. Matt Hand, believes that if she is to survive into adulthood, she needs the surgery to separate her lower limbs.

Watch the snippet of the documentary below from Firecracker Films and fall in love with the girl who seems to defy all odds set against her to live a happy and normal life.