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Kanai Das, 43, was born with a rare genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis that has severely disfigured his face, making him look like the elephant God known as Lord Ganesha. Although Das is widely respected in his village he has never been able to find a job and almost all his life he earns money by begging.
Kanai Das is worshipped as the reincarnation of the Hindu god Ganesh
He said: “I do not want to beg but I have no other way to earn money and look after my mother. People think I am God because I have a trunk like him. But I was not like this always. I have fond memories of seeing from both the eyes but over the years, my right eye has disappeared. I could see it in the mirror some years ago but now I cannot find it in all the pile of flesh. I do not even remember how I used to look before.”
Kanai attempts to drink around the folds of skin
Having no money for Kanai’s treatment his own mother left him when he was a child. In search of food the boy started wandering and scavenging dustbins until one day Bharati Roy, a mother of six children, took pity on the poor child and adopted him.
Bharati Roy adopted Kanai after he was abandoned and found homeless
Bharati, 73, said: “I was in the shop when I saw a young boy, wretched and sifting through the dustbin for food. His nose was bulging and his right eye was sagging. I was so moved by his condition that I could not stop myself from bringing him home. I had 22 members in my family and no one really hated him but his condition was such that none wanted to touch him or get close to him. It has always been me who feed him or bathe him. I have always taken care of his needs.”
Kanai Das begs at Baruipur railway station
The woman and his husband tried to cure the boy but the local doctors said they can’t help him. The mother, now widowed, and son share a small room and live on the money that Kanai gets from worshippers. But he still believes in miracles and hopes for a surgery that could give him a normal face and a normal life.
Kanai prays to God for forgiveness each night despite his deformity not being his fault
“I always pray to God and ask him for forgiveness. My life is very painful. I cannot walk or eat. I spill the food while eating. I do visit others as it embarrasses me. The flesh irritates me, it always feels like burning and itching. I have to always take medicines so to keep the skin soothed. Though doctors have told me there is no cure, I still hope for a miracle. I want to be a healthy person and lead a normal life,” the man says.
Surgical removal of tumors is an option, however the risks involved should be assessed first. The preferred treatment is chemotherapy, However radiotherapy isn’t recommended in children who present with this disorder
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