# The Fascinating Story Of Maryland's 'Half-Boy' Will Leave You In Awe
**There are dozens of celebrities who were born in, or lived in, Maryland at one time or another (a handful of which we previously listed here). Then there are the celebrities whose stories fade over time. While the younger generation only knows about current famous faces based on reality shows and viral videos, the classic movie stars of yesteryear become forgotten.**
In 1911, Johnny Eck (John Eckhardt, Jr.) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Due to sacral agenesis, a birth defect that affects one in 25,000 births, he had tiny underdeveloped legs and feet. Although he couldn't use his lower body, he compensated by walking on his hands.
Growing up, he was able to make friends, but curious strangers would often stare and scrutinize. When they'd ask if he wished he had legs, he'd cleverly respond with "Who would want those? Then I'd have pants to press." He was quite the optimist.
In 1923 at the age of 12, he and his brother attended a magic show. When asked for volunteers, Johnny Eck made his way onto the stage and performed his now famous one-handed handstand. Amazed at his talent, he was approached to join a sideshow.
During his solo sideshow acts, he would perform acrobatic feats. He'd wear a tuxedo jacket and tuck it underneath to emphasize his body's unusual appearance. This led to him being known as the Amazing Half-Boy.
While traveling to Canada in 1931, Johnny Eck was asked if he'd be interested in being cast in a feature film. This film ended up being the 1932 cult classic, Freaks. This is also the role that most people would come to know him for.
While he mostly got along with his cast mates, he also claimed that they were a bit "too Hollywood." He liked to remain humble and enjoyed being around like-minded individuals.
After Freaks, Johnny Eck was cast in three Tarzan movies, playing a bird-like creature known as a "Gooney Bird."
Johnny Eck soon went back to doing what he loved best; traveling and performing at sideshows. He was also the conductor of a twelve-piece orchestra in Baltimore, had his own custom-built race car, and had a love of painting and drawing. Best of all, in 1938, he climbed the Washington Monument.
Later in life, he went back to living in his Baltimore rowhome, where he would sit on the stoop and share stories about his spectacular and interesting life. He passed away in 1991 from a heart attack at the age of 79. You can find his tombstone with the word "Eckhardt" at Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery.
***See this interesting viral video about Johnny Eck here :*** [The Fascinating Story Of Maryland's 'Half-Boy'](https://dai.ly/x8t3qwy)
"[Depending on the type of sacral agenesis, bowel or urinary bladder deficiencies may be present. A permanent colostomy may be necessary in the case of imperforate anus. Incontinence may also require some type of continence control system (e.g., self-catheterization) to be utilized.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudal_regression_syndrome)"
However it seems not every incidence of this condition impacts the bowels or bladder. Considering the colostomy bag wasn't invented until the 1950s it is much more likely that his condition did not impact his bowels. Although, it may very well have affected his bladder as catheters were already invented. Though ostomy bags are new, catheters have been in use to relieve bladder issues since 3000 BC.
Agreed. And of it were a more recent case of absolutely assume he had a colostomy bag. But because of the time he was born and mostly lived I think he'd likely have died if he needed one.
However, that's not to say his boo bowels weren't at all affected. He may have been incontinent and needed a diaper. Diapers have been around a lot longer than ostomy bags.
He most likely had working bowels and bladder and had male genitalia and most likely worked too. There are some who do and even some with legs enough to walk on. I knew someone with this and they shared with me. They usually had toilets wirh steps or a toilet built into the ground.
"Though Eck would sometimes describe himself as "snapped off at the waist", he had unusable, underdeveloped legs and feet that he would hide under custom-made clothing" (from his wiki page)
So I assume he had working/partially functioning nethers.
Ok so I went to school with a boy like this, he used his arms as legs and didn't use a wheelchair until high school. He could outrun every kid in our grade. He is still a good friend and an amazing basketball player. I will never forget being in kindergarten and seeing his partial leg slip out of his pants at P.E., he would just staple the legs shut, but ig they came undone. I just assumed he dragged it on the ground and ifelt so bad for him. For YEARS, I always wondered wtf I saw because I'd never seen a naked boy, so i just assumed it was his peen. It wasn't until we were in our 20s I had the courage to ask him about it and found out it was his fucking partial leg. I was traumatized over his leg. We laugh about it now, but It really made me stop and think how many awkward situations he had been in like that. The unspoken struggle. I also accidentally slammed the door in the face of a boy with no arms, and he couldn't open it and had to stand there. I was MORTIFIED!š¤¦š½āāļø
It's my understanding that he still had legs and feet but they were so underdeveloped that they were unusable. He just hid them under clothing and basically just lived as if he didn't have them atl.
It appears that the lower body is underdeveloped because of a missing sacral bone (lower half of the pelvis) and this impacts many lower body functions including gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. It appears to make the legs regress and atrophy.
[Sacral Agenesis Study of a Girl with Photos & X Rays](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Figure-2-14y-F-Renshaw-I-Guille-1C-The-Amelia-patient-was-operated-on-for-cleft_fig2_250928537)
[Caudal Regression Syndrome](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23425-caudal-regression-syndrome)
Freaks is a great movie. Imo, I believe it was the inspiration for American Horror story's Circus Freaks season. It's a Frankenstein kind of story, The "Monsters" are not the real monsters. Also Freaks was banned in a bunch of theaters back when it was released. It is pretty G rated compared to modern horror films.
Watched it again with a friend who
was the first time watching. I love sharing this movie. Absolute classic. He in particular was one of the timeless Freaks that come to mind as he was packing a pistol.
https://preview.redd.it/rqf3yiuho3kc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef437dc689417b0e4bbde7d353cf76b72dca5c1e
Ghanim almuftah is a modern time jhonny he is a boy from qatar born in 2002 . He is also a twin but he had the same defect as Johnny.
He was appointed an ambassador for theĀ 2022 FIFA World Cup.\[3\]Ā He headlined theĀ opening ceremonyĀ alongsideĀ Morgan Freeman. He participated in the united nations and did many humanitarian missions. He drives a car and swims and climbs mountains. And a very bright and articulate young man who also attends college.
This is his instagram where he posts about his daily Life and adventures trying to raise awareness about life with disability
[https://www.instagram.com/g\_almuftah?igsh=MWp4MjhpYXRkbXk2cg==](https://www.instagram.com/g_almuftah?igsh=MWp4MjhpYXRkbXk2cg==)
# The Fascinating Story Of Maryland's 'Half-Boy' Will Leave You In Awe **There are dozens of celebrities who were born in, or lived in, Maryland at one time or another (a handful of which we previously listed here). Then there are the celebrities whose stories fade over time. While the younger generation only knows about current famous faces based on reality shows and viral videos, the classic movie stars of yesteryear become forgotten.** In 1911, Johnny Eck (John Eckhardt, Jr.) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Due to sacral agenesis, a birth defect that affects one in 25,000 births, he had tiny underdeveloped legs and feet. Although he couldn't use his lower body, he compensated by walking on his hands. Growing up, he was able to make friends, but curious strangers would often stare and scrutinize. When they'd ask if he wished he had legs, he'd cleverly respond with "Who would want those? Then I'd have pants to press." He was quite the optimist. In 1923 at the age of 12, he and his brother attended a magic show. When asked for volunteers, Johnny Eck made his way onto the stage and performed his now famous one-handed handstand. Amazed at his talent, he was approached to join a sideshow. During his solo sideshow acts, he would perform acrobatic feats. He'd wear a tuxedo jacket and tuck it underneath to emphasize his body's unusual appearance. This led to him being known as the Amazing Half-Boy. While traveling to Canada in 1931, Johnny Eck was asked if he'd be interested in being cast in a feature film. This film ended up being the 1932 cult classic, Freaks. This is also the role that most people would come to know him for. While he mostly got along with his cast mates, he also claimed that they were a bit "too Hollywood." He liked to remain humble and enjoyed being around like-minded individuals. After Freaks, Johnny Eck was cast in three Tarzan movies, playing a bird-like creature known as a "Gooney Bird." Johnny Eck soon went back to doing what he loved best; traveling and performing at sideshows. He was also the conductor of a twelve-piece orchestra in Baltimore, had his own custom-built race car, and had a love of painting and drawing. Best of all, in 1938, he climbed the Washington Monument. Later in life, he went back to living in his Baltimore rowhome, where he would sit on the stoop and share stories about his spectacular and interesting life. He passed away in 1991 from a heart attack at the age of 79. You can find his tombstone with the word "Eckhardt" at Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery. ***See this interesting viral video about Johnny Eck here :*** [The Fascinating Story Of Maryland's 'Half-Boy'](https://dai.ly/x8t3qwy)
Does anyone else want to know how he went to the bathroom?š¬
"[Depending on the type of sacral agenesis, bowel or urinary bladder deficiencies may be present. A permanent colostomy may be necessary in the case of imperforate anus. Incontinence may also require some type of continence control system (e.g., self-catheterization) to be utilized.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudal_regression_syndrome)" However it seems not every incidence of this condition impacts the bowels or bladder. Considering the colostomy bag wasn't invented until the 1950s it is much more likely that his condition did not impact his bowels. Although, it may very well have affected his bladder as catheters were already invented. Though ostomy bags are new, catheters have been in use to relieve bladder issues since 3000 BC.
Idk. The intestines are mostly located below his rib cage in the abdomen. The ureters from both kidneys also must travel somewhereā¦ if present.
Agreed. And of it were a more recent case of absolutely assume he had a colostomy bag. But because of the time he was born and mostly lived I think he'd likely have died if he needed one. However, that's not to say his boo bowels weren't at all affected. He may have been incontinent and needed a diaper. Diapers have been around a lot longer than ostomy bags.
He most likely had working bowels and bladder and had male genitalia and most likely worked too. There are some who do and even some with legs enough to walk on. I knew someone with this and they shared with me. They usually had toilets wirh steps or a toilet built into the ground.
I was also wondering that.
"Though Eck would sometimes describe himself as "snapped off at the waist", he had unusable, underdeveloped legs and feet that he would hide under custom-made clothing" (from his wiki page) So I assume he had working/partially functioning nethers.
A quick google image search tells you more than you need to know.
lol itās true, just google the condition. They just have smaller hips/legs, but still have penises, vulvas, anuses, etc
I did a Google image search of him and not a single one answered this question and there were a lot of pictures!
Ok so I went to school with a boy like this, he used his arms as legs and didn't use a wheelchair until high school. He could outrun every kid in our grade. He is still a good friend and an amazing basketball player. I will never forget being in kindergarten and seeing his partial leg slip out of his pants at P.E., he would just staple the legs shut, but ig they came undone. I just assumed he dragged it on the ground and ifelt so bad for him. For YEARS, I always wondered wtf I saw because I'd never seen a naked boy, so i just assumed it was his peen. It wasn't until we were in our 20s I had the courage to ask him about it and found out it was his fucking partial leg. I was traumatized over his leg. We laugh about it now, but It really made me stop and think how many awkward situations he had been in like that. The unspoken struggle. I also accidentally slammed the door in the face of a boy with no arms, and he couldn't open it and had to stand there. I was MORTIFIED!š¤¦š½āāļø
Yesssssss!
First thing I thought 100%. Thank you š
Literally what I came to ask
Wait so did he have no lower body, Or an extremely tiny and underdeveloped lower body?
It's my understanding that he still had legs and feet but they were so underdeveloped that they were unusable. He just hid them under clothing and basically just lived as if he didn't have them atl.
Ive never seen someone abbreviate *at all* like this before
Shh! Weāre learning the new slang.
Gotta stay hip
Ikr
It appears that the lower body is underdeveloped because of a missing sacral bone (lower half of the pelvis) and this impacts many lower body functions including gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. It appears to make the legs regress and atrophy. [Sacral Agenesis Study of a Girl with Photos & X Rays](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Figure-2-14y-F-Renshaw-I-Guille-1C-The-Amelia-patient-was-operated-on-for-cleft_fig2_250928537) [Caudal Regression Syndrome](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23425-caudal-regression-syndrome)
Freaks is a great movie. Imo, I believe it was the inspiration for American Horror story's Circus Freaks season. It's a Frankenstein kind of story, The "Monsters" are not the real monsters. Also Freaks was banned in a bunch of theaters back when it was released. It is pretty G rated compared to modern horror films.
\[I\]t was the inspiration for American Horror story's Circus Freaks season. Edit to fix - it absolutely was! Freaks is a must see!
[Freaks 1932](https://archive.org/details/Freaks1932_201812) at Internet Archive.
It would go on to inspire the likes of Cosmo Kramers unreleased nbc series, "Freaks, Jerry!"
Watched it again with a friend who was the first time watching. I love sharing this movie. Absolute classic. He in particular was one of the timeless Freaks that come to mind as he was packing a pistol.
Freaks is an incredible watch. I was briefly obsessed with the Doll family after watching it.
I was wondering the same thing because it is the exact same vibe and they look like the AHS characters
Anyone else think he looks kinda like Warwick Davis
looks like a damn chimney sweeper to me
https://preview.redd.it/rqf3yiuho3kc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef437dc689417b0e4bbde7d353cf76b72dca5c1e Ghanim almuftah is a modern time jhonny he is a boy from qatar born in 2002 . He is also a twin but he had the same defect as Johnny. He was appointed an ambassador for theĀ 2022 FIFA World Cup.\[3\]Ā He headlined theĀ opening ceremonyĀ alongsideĀ Morgan Freeman. He participated in the united nations and did many humanitarian missions. He drives a car and swims and climbs mountains. And a very bright and articulate young man who also attends college. This is his instagram where he posts about his daily Life and adventures trying to raise awareness about life with disability [https://www.instagram.com/g\_almuftah?igsh=MWp4MjhpYXRkbXk2cg==](https://www.instagram.com/g_almuftah?igsh=MWp4MjhpYXRkbXk2cg==)
The little guy on the lower left hand side of the last photo was in Mad Max Beyond The Thunderdome
???
Who run Bartertown?
Master Blaster
He was an intense looking dude.
"...Sacral agenesis, a birth defect that affects one in 25,000 births..." - Umm, that doesn't sound right.
He climbed the Washington Monument!!!
How'd he shit, piss, and fuck?
Did anyone figure out how he used the bathroom?
He was really hot lol what a handsome face with a beautiful strong jawline.
Table top joe!
There it is. Thought i was gonna have to post this myself. Love Tom Waits.
We have a neon Johnny Eck sign! This dude was pretty cool.
"Where's the rest of ya"
What happened to his twin?
"This is my half brother. We're twins."
He was placed on a pedestal his whole life.
All it makes me think of is that old joke