Mysuru: Born with a rare genetic deformity, 12- year- old Dixith could not write or hold a spoon as his fingers were stuck together owing to his extremely sensitive skin that peels off at even a mild touch.
The condition, “Epidermolysis Bullosa,” also stunted his growth, leaving him only three feet tall at 12. Every moment of his life has been painful. But thanks to a rare surgery by a Mysuru plastic surgeon at a private hospital, some of his fingers have been prised apart and he can now eat on his own with a spoon and also write to an extent, which is a huge relief for the class 7 student.
The son of a government school teacher in KR Pet taluk, Dixith is at last smiling as he has achieved a degree of independence now.
Dr Sathish K V, senior consultant and plastic and cosmetic surgeon at Apollo hospital, who operated on the child, said, “Epidermolysis Bullosa is a rare genetic birth deformity seen among one in a million live child births. Although there is no cure for the disease, the surgery has made the child independent to an extent.”
Meanwhile, in another surgery here, doctors removed an extra finger in both the hand and foot of a one year- old- child brought to them by its parents, Ahmed Kalfan, an imam of a mosque in Liva, Omen, and his wife, Mariam Sayeed.
The couple were ecstatic at their one- year -old daughter, Khadeeja, being freed of the deformity after the surgery. Going by Dr Sathish, although one in 10,000 children are born with the same deformity, hardly 10 per cent of the parents opt for surgery. “It is always recommended to opt for the surgery before a child turns one,” he said.
