Sometimes, am I glad that I'm very much normal and I don't have to go through such humiliation? Yet, not sure the reason GOD allow this thing to happen in this man's life.
Is he supposed to impact/touch or even change someone's life?
I would say he's an extraordinary person, that I would believe that he would be judged differently by God during the judgement days.
Tree man 'who grew roots' may be cured By Matthew Moore Last Updated: 10:10am GMT 13/11/2007An Indonesian fisherman who feared that he would be killed by tree-like growths covering his body has been given hope of recovery by an American doctor - and Vitamin A. Dede, now 35, baffled medical experts when warty "roots" began growing out of his arms and feet after he cut his knee in a teenage accident.
The welts spread across his body unchecked and soon he was left unable to carry out everyday household tasks. Sacked from his job and deserted by his wife, Dede has been raising his two children - now in their late teens - in poverty, resigned to the fact that local doctors had no cure for his condition. To make ends meet he even joined a local "freak show", parading in front of a paying audience alongside victims of other peculiar diseases. Although supported by his extended family, he was often a target of abuse and ridicule in his rural fishing village.
But now an American dermatology expert who flew out to Dede's home village south of the capital Jakarta claims to have identified his condition, and proposed a treatment that could transform his life.
After testing samples of the lesions and Dede's blood, Dr Anthony Gaspari of the University of Maryland concluded that his affliction is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a fairly common infection that usually causes small warts to develop on sufferers. Dede's problem is that he has a rare genetic fault that impedes his immune system, meaning his body is unable to contain the warts. The virus was therefore able to "hijack the cellular machinery of his skin cells", ordering them to produce massive amounts of the substance that caused the tree-like growths known as "cutaneous horns" on his hands and feet.
Dede's counts of a key type of white blood cell are so low that Dr Gaspari initially suspected he may have the Aids virus. But tests showed he did not, and it became clear that Dede's immune condition was something far rarer and more mysterious. Warts aside, he had enjoyed remarkable good health throughout his life - which would not be expected of someone with a suppressed immune system - and neither his parents nor his siblings have shown signs of developing lesions. "The likelihood of having his deficiency is less than one in a million," Dr Gaspari told the Telegraph
Dr Gaspari, who became involved in the case through a Discovery Channel documentary, believes that Dede's condition can be largely cleared up by a daily doses of a synthetic form of Vitamin A, which has been shown to arrest the growth of warts in severe cases of HPV. "He won't have a perfectly normal body but the warts should reduce in size to the point where he could use his hands," Dr Gaspari said. "Over the course of three to six months the warts should be come smaller and fewer in number. He will be living a more normal life."
The most resilient warts could then be frozen off and the growths on his hands and feet surgically removed. Dr Gaspari hopes to get the necessary drugs free of charge from pharmaceutical firms. They would then be administered by Indonesian doctors under his supervision.
Still intrigued by the origins of Dede's peculiar immune condition, the doctor would like to fly him to the United States for further examination, but fears the financial and bureaucratic barriers would prove too difficult to overcome. "I would like to bring him to the US to run tests on where his immune condition has come from, but I would need funding and to get him a visa as well as someone to cover the costs of the tests," he said. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire career."
"Half Man Half Tree", part of the "My Shocking Story" series, will be shown on the Discovery Channel at 9pm on Nov 15.
Comments
I have a different thought when I received this forwarded email. I am touched by Dede's spirit. Did he give up? I am sure some people would just want to die or hide away than face constant ridicule from people. But did he? No.. in fact, he has showed to the world that despite his condition, he never gave up his precious life and his love for his children is so strong that he is willing to be subjected to public torment just to raise his family.
It's an encouragement to all of us, especially in today's fallen world. I believe that God does work in him, and through Dede, I believe people will view their lives differently.
When I saw his photo taken with his daughter, all I can see was a a happy father and daughter. Compare with our own photo or photos of others, even we try to pose a big and happy smile, I can't see such natural and genuine smile which I can feel that flows warmly and sincerely from his heart. He was not ashamed of his condition. Look at the photo taken with his daughter again.
I better stop now. I think I am writing an essay instead of comment. hehe.. All I can say that God is definitely working in his life. Where did he get his strength and courage from?
Be thankful for who we are and for all our blessings.
he's a father, thus he got to keep going because of his children.
His children is his hope.
What if he's still single and alone?
IT would be something else already