A twelve-year-old boy is treated like a a pariah in his local community due to a rare genetic disorder that has fused his hands and feet.
Mannu Kamar’s eyeballs also pop out of their sockets from even the slightest nudge, and he has to pop them back in himself.
The youngster from Jharkhand, India has to be spoon-fed by his mother and cannot wear shoes or slippers.
His parents are now desperately trying to raise money for treatment and give him a better life
Mannu Kamar has webbed fingers, and toes
His parents says he is treated like a pariah in the neighbourhood and at school
He can’t use hands for eating or any other purpose, nor can he wear shoes or slippers
Cast out by his community
Mannu’s rare genetic condition, known as Syndactyly, causes abnormal fusing of the hands and feet, and affects just one in a million people.
And his desperate parents, housewife Rani Devi and grocery shop owner Anand Kumar, have been told that their son’s condition is now in an advanced stage, and treatment will cost £11,110 (one million Rupees)
The family, from Koderma, in the east Indian state of Jharkhand, have also been told they would have to shell out a further £5,555 (half a million Rupees) for the treatment process to begin.
The family, who earn an income of £1,330 (120 000 rupees) a month, have set up a Crowdfunding page in the hopes of raising money for Mannu’s treatment.
His mother, Rani Devi, says her son is treated like a ‘pariah’ in his neighbourhood, and has had to change schools due to bullying.
She said: ‘It is the curse of the God that my son was born like this and I am worried about his future.
Mannu comes from Koderma, the east Indian state of Jharkhand
Mannu’s parents say the medical expenses are a burden on the family
‘I’m afraid he might struggle to lead a normal life. We will, of course, take care of him while we are alive but I don’t know what will happen to him when we’re gone.
‘Those who are heartless ask why something like this happened. When we travel on a bus or train, people stare at him.’
Rani added: ‘We live in a town where everybody treats him well, and compassionate people empathize with him as God has made him so different.
‘But if it were a village, the kids would get scared of his appearance. Nobody would have played with him.
‘They would get scared by seeing his bulging eyes. People would stare at him.’
Bulging eyes and fused feet
Mannu was only diagnosed with Syndactyly in July 2017, by which time it had reached an advanced stage – as his uneducated parents could not recognise the early symptoms.
In the last two years, his family have sold property and jewellery just to fund their son’s diagnosis and medication.
Mannu suffers from Syndactyly, a rare genetic condition which has fused the skin around his hands and feet
The family need to raise a total of £16,670 (1,500,000 Rupees) to fund the entire treatment
Now, they have been told by doctors that the total cost of his treatment, including neuro and plastic surgery procedures, would come to approximately £11,110 (one million Rupees)
The family now need to raise a total of £16,670 (1,500,000 Rupees) to fund the entire treatment – and have asked for help via a Crowdfunding page.
And this does not address the issue of Mannu’s bulging eyes.
His mother said: ‘His eyes were fine at birth. But his younger sister poked something in his eyes while playing.
‘As a result, his eyes partially popped out of the sockets. He then pressed them back into place himself.
‘Now, his eyes pop out if he gets hurt while playing or while applying soap to his face in the bath.
Mannu is the eldest child of Anand Kumar, a small-time grocery shop owner, and Rani Devi, a housewife (pictured)
‘Sometimes, when we’re dressing him, if we’re not careful his eyes will pop out.’
Mannu added: ‘My mother has to mouth-feed me. I face problems while walking, standing up and even during studies because of my swollen eyes.
‘When I wear clothes, my eyes pop out. I then have to press them back into place.’
But both Mannu and his parents remain positive for the future.
His mother said: ‘If somebody can help us and get him cured, we would definitely look up to them for help.’