A man suffers from an excruciating skin condition that has left it cracked and black, and causes it to shed every 10 days.
Om Prakash, 35, dubbed ‘snake man’, is unable to walk as the friction created by moving causes his skin to crack and heavily bleed.
Unable to afford medical treatment, Mr Prakash, who suffers from erythroderma, has only ever visited faith healers, who claim he is cursed by God and will never be cured.
Despite his condition, Mr Prakash, who is forced to moisturise his skin with oil and water every two hours, is well loved, with local villagers affectionately calling him ‘Tirku’, meaning flaky skin, and donating oil to ease his discomfort.
Mr Prakash, from the village Sarjupura Bachedi, in central India, said: ‘My skin is painful and irritating. I want to get rid of this condition so I can live a normal life, get married and work with my brothers.’
The villagers hope by speaking out they can raise awareness of Mr Prakash’s condition, which may cause the Indian Government to fund his treatment.
Rajender Singh Tomar, the village head said: ‘He is a wonderful young man. Despite his painful condition, he always smiles. He never complains to anyone about his problems.’
Om Prakash suffers from an excruciating skin condition that leaves it cracked and black
Mr Prakash, who sheds skin every 10 days, cannot walk as the friction cause him to bleed
Unable to afford treatment, faith healers say he is cursed by God and will never heal
‘I shed skin like a snake every 10 days’
Mr Prakash said: ‘I have [had] this disease since childhood. My whole body itches badly; at times my legs start bleeding. I have pain and inflammation all over my body.
‘My skin is so dry that it is very thick and flaky. I shed skin like a snake every 10 days. This is why people have named me Tirku.
‘But I am fortunate as no one makes fun of me. Despite my skin resembling a snake skin, people behave with me nicely. They offer me tobacco and food. They treat me like a special person.’
Mr Prakash started showing signs of the condition, called Erythroderma, at just five days old
In a viscous cycle, itching causes his skin to peel off, leaving it in a worse condition than before
Despite being told he has no hope, Mr Prakash wishes to heal so he can one day get married
He also wants to work alongside his four brothers, who are unaffected, as a farm labourer
‘I want to live a normal life, get married and work’
Mr Prakash started showing signs of the disorder at just five days old.
Ummed, 40, his eldest brother, who is not affected by the condition, said: ‘It started with dryness in his skin that later turned thick and flaky, and started peeling off itself.
‘As he grew older, his itchy skin turned back and hard. It became a cycle; he would scratch the itchy skin, it [would] turn red, and then thick and black, before peeling off.
‘We have always seen him struggling in pain. But he is a very sweet person. He never complains and troubles us.’
Due to his condition, Mr Prakash cannot help his four brothers, who work as daily-wage labours, but spends his days making clay dolls for village children.
He said: ‘I like to make toys for kids. I feel joy when they are happy.
‘It reminds me of my childhood. I was a happy child and would play whole day, running and playing hide and seek.
‘But now I cannot do anything. I cannot earn for my parents so I make dolls. In return the villagers give me money, food and tobacco.
‘I hope one day I could save enough to see doctors who can give me medicines to treat my condition.
‘My skin is painful and irritating. I want to get rid of this condition so I can also live a normal life, get married and work with my brothers.’
Local villagers say Mr Prakash has battled the disorder all his life, but has deteriorated with age
Mr Prakash says he has inflammation all over his body, which is painful and irritating
Mr Prakah’s family have raised money to pay for journeys to local towns for treatment but are unable to send him to cities for medical intervention (pictured with his mother Gulabo, 50)
‘He never complains to anyone’
Villagers pity Mr Prakash and hope he will on day be offered treatment for free.
Rajender Singh Tomar, the village head said: ‘He is a wonderful young man. Despite his painful condition, he always smiles. He never complains to anyone about his problems.
‘I have seen him since childhood. He has always been like this but with age, his condition has deteriorated.
‘We hope he can get medical attention soon so he can be treated and live a normal, happy life like his other brothers.’
Despite his condition, Mr Prakash is well liked by local villagers, who donate oil to help his skin
They affectionately call him ‘Tirku’, meaning flaky skin, and do not mock his disorder
Despite being in agonising pain, many note Mr Prakash is always smiling and never complains
Pictured with his mother and brother Ummed, Mr Prakash makes clay toys for a living