A young man, who has been plagued with a rare condition which left him with a giant head, feet and hands, is desperately searching for a cure so he can finally find love, Tammy Hughes of the Daily Mail reported.
Saen Mumtaz, 22, has been seriously disfigured by Proteus syndrome which has caused certain parts of his body to continue growing.
He has been accepted by locals in his neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lahore, in Pakistan, but the disease has left him with ongoing medical problems and he finds it difficult to get around.
It is thought that Saen suffered from a unique variation of Proteus syndrome – which also affected ‘Elephant Man’ Joseph Merrick – because of the symmetrical deformity on his face and skull.
Heartbreakingly Sian once believed his terrible affliction was a curse bestowed on him by a vengeful God, leaving him listless and depressed.
But supportive friends and family have kept his spirits high and he is now determined to embrace life.
Kindly locals refer to him as their ‘giant friend’ and are determined to discover a cure for Sian who in turn hopes he will meet the woman of his dreams.
He said: ‘I’ve been this way since I was born. My face, arms and legs all differ in size and people assume I’m not like other normal human beings.
‘But I’m mentally fit and understand everything, I live like my life like everyone else despite all my family including my mother, father, brothers and sisters all being born without the condition.
‘People used to run away from me. But now they treat me normally and sit and talk to me when I am out.
‘They call me their friend. One day I hope to be cured and meet a woman who will love me.’
Saen hasn’t seen a doctor since he was a boy when he was told it was Proteus Syndrome and nothing could be done to help him.
If Proteus is the correct diagnosis for his condition there may be nothing that can reduce the weight of his massive limbs.
But his family cling on to the hope that Saen is suffering from some other overgrowth disorder and if this is true then there may well be treatments that can help him.
His father, Wazir Ali, said: ‘We want to discover what is wrong with him, and whether anything might be done to improve his day-to-day life.
‘He has hopes for his future, one day he would like to run a rickshaw business and find a wife.’
‘Strange’ but not defeated
