UK Disability Resource of Disabled Needs

An Indonesian man whose life has been ruined by strange roots that sprout from his hands and feet is hoping a US doctor can help him.

Dede's life made a miseryDede, nicknamed "Tree Man", has been treated like a freak show because of the horn-like growths.

He was sacked from his job, his wife left him and he was shunned by his neighbours.

The 35-year-old, who only has one name, is unable to work because he cannot use his hands and lives in poverty with his two teenage daughters.

He said he cannot travel anywhere and is forced to stay in his parents' house because his hands and feet are so heavy and cumbersome due to the growths.

He first noticed the warts after he cut his knee as a teenager, and in 1993 he was taken to hospital but doctors could not find a cure.

Dede, who lives in the village of Tanjung Jaya about 100 miles south of the capital Jakarta, told reporters: "First it felt itchy and some warts appeared on my feet.

"I neglected it and then growths started appearing quickly, covering my whole body. Sometimes people mock me, but sometimes they don't."

Growths on hands and feetHe briefly joined a "freak show" in the nearby city of Bandung in order to earn some money to support himself.

But while his family look after him, he often suffers abuse and ridicule by other villagers.

US doctor Anthony Gaspari from University of Maryland tested Dede's blood and said the growths are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a fairly common infection that usually results in small warts.

Dr Gaspari believes Dede's condition can be cleared up using daily doses of a synthetic form of Vitamin A, which halts the growth of warts in severe cases of HPV.

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i saw the pictures of this yesterday, it is quite an amazing story. that poor man. goodness. barbs