Bablu Pashi was labelled “devil child” when he was younger and now struggles to wash and take care of himself
Bablu weighs his giant arm on scales on the street (
A man suffering from a rare medical condition has an arm weighing a mammoth 44lbs – more than the double its normal size.
The affliction means Bablu Pashi is in enormous pain and everyday tasks such as washing are immensely difficult.
The 25-year-old from Allahabad in India suffers from gigantism , a disease that causes excessive growth of body tissue.
It means he can only walk for 10 minutes without taking a break because his 3st 1lb arm is so heavy – twice the weight of a dachshund.
“I’ve been this way since I was born. As I got older my hand kept growing and growing,” Bablu said.
“The weight of my arm is 20 kilos [44lbs] and while washing it up it starts to hurt.
Bablu has gigantism which has caused his arm to swell (
Nagesh Ohal / Barcroft Media)
“I am not able to walk. I walk for 10 minutes and then for 10 minutes I have to rest. These are the difficulties I face.”
As a young man Bablu faced severe abuse in his home town and was cruelly dubbed a “devil child” by his neighbours.
He moved to Mumbai to seek proper treatment, but has struggled to find work in the city and continues to face prejudice on a daily basis.
He said: “I came to Mumbai so that I can work here and earn for myself. I also want a proper treatment so that I can look for a job.”
The size difference between Bablu’s two hands is obvious (
Nagesh Ohal / Barcroft Media)
But his condition has made it extremely difficult for him to find a paid position, with potential employers frightened of his abnormally large limb.
Bablu said: “No one wants to help me in this city. If I go to some shop for work, they beat me and ask me to leave. They don’t even let me in.
“I don’t even have the money to buy food for myself – I don’t have anybody to help me.”
Bablu’s right arm is so large that it causes him pain when washing (
Nagesh Ohal / Barcroft Media)
And his arm has also prevented him from finding a wife or fulfilling his dream of having children.
He said: “Women notice me but they turn a blind eye or walk far away from me. Why would they even talk to me? They see my condition and they prefer to stay away.
“If my arm was normal, I would have been living with my family. I would have my own family and kids. I would have married like others do.”
Doctor RL Gangrade, who had a consultation with Bablu, said: “It’s a genetic disorder. Right now it’s developed. He needs a plastic surgeon who will take care of his condition.
Bablu’s gigantic arm caused him to be nicknamed ‘devil child’ (
Nagesh Ohal / Barcroft Media)DON’T MISS
“Staying in hospital for so long under observation and reconstructing the arm is a very lengthy process.
“I would like to say that he should get some government help for his big arm. He should get a handicap certificate.
“It is going to be really difficult if you will ask him to survive with only one arm.
Bablu sits on the streets of Mumbai where he lives (
Nagesh Ohal / Barcroft Media)
However, the cost of the surgery could be as much as £15,000 – far beyond Bablu’s scope, as he is currently forced to live on the streets as a beggar.
Bablu wants to go home once his arm becomes normal so that he can live a life like others.
“By any chance if I will get a treatment, I will go back to my home. I will earn a good living and eat. I will build a home with my own efforts and I’ll live happily,” he said.
“Once my hand is operated upon than I will earn from my hard work, not from begging. I will pour my sweat, blood and tears into my work.”
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