What Happened to Brandon Westfall? The 27-Year-Old Who Struggled with Puberty

Brandon Westfall made a courageous appearance on The Doctors, where he shared his personal struggles, revealing that he didn’t have a love life due to a lack of sex drive.

When the episode aired in 2013, he sought the expertise of a medical professional, who confirmed his condition, stating that his genitals were underdeveloped.

Years later, Brandon participated in an AMA(Reddit), where he elaborated on his life experiences and the treatments he pursued following the show.

Reflecting on his youth, he said, “I always knew something was off with my body but didn’t seriously address it until my late teens. I needed a physical to join my high school soccer team, and that’s when I asked the doctor why I hadn’t gone through puberty. He brushed it off, saying I was just a late bloomer.”

Brandon admitted that he didn’t think much of it at the time, choosing to focus on school and work. After finishing school, he experienced a significant growth spurt, shooting up from 5’4” to 6’3”. While it seemed like he was finally developing, he later realized he should have sought medical advice earlier.

Following personal struggles, including a divorce and unemployment, Brandon decided to research his symptoms. After months of self-study, he diagnosed himself with Kallmann syndrome, a genetic condition characterized by the delayed or absent onset of puberty.

For the past two years, Brandon has undergone testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) three times, each lasting 2-3 months. However, the costs of frequent doctor visits, blood work, and medication have been overwhelming. Despite applying for medical assistance, he was denied, as his condition wasn’t deemed severe enough.

Before his appearance on The Doctors, Brandon had no body hair, minimal pubic and armpit hair, and no facial hair. His testes, he said, were the size of marbles and would only grow with specialized hormone therapy.

Though people often perceive him as younger than he is, Brandon said he has come to terms with this. “Once I explain my condition, they usually understand and treat me appropriately,” he noted.

2023 Update

Brandon has shared that most of his health issues are “invisible illnesses,” which are hard to detect unless someone witnesses him experiencing a migraine or muscle cramps. For 37 years, he has lived in a state of constant exhaustion.

Over the past 27 days, he has had a constant headache, fluctuating from mild to severe migraines. He attributes this to allergies, which worsened after starting allergy injections about a month ago.

Around two years ago, Brandon was diagnosed with celiac disease. Upon receiving the diagnosis, he immediately purged his home of gluten-containing foods and adopted a new diet. After six months with no improvement, he saw a gastroenterologist and was also diagnosed with microscopic colitis.

Many foods still upset his stomach, which triggers muscle cramps. Brandon maintains a limited diet, eating only 4-5 meals. While his muscle spasms have improved with dietary changes, he has torn five muscles in the past three years, two of which were severe. His primary care doctor finally referred him to a neurologist, who has since referred him to the University of Utah for further testing, focusing on metabolic and serotonin disorders.

Brandon’s muscle spasms vary, ranging from tremors to cramping that can last seconds to hours. They often occur in multiple muscles simultaneously. On a good night, he wakes up with mild cramps 3-5 times, while bad nights see him waking up as many as 20 times. Despite these challenges, Brandon noted that his health has improved over the past two years, though it’s still not where he would like it to be.