Dede - the “Tree Man” of Indonesia
Maybe some of you have seen this story, but I saw a video of it on Sky News online today and immediately I knew I had to write about it. My inclination to write is twofold: firstly, to raise awareness of this story and this condition; and secondly, to make you realise how lucky you are. Sometimes you or your partner may complain that they look bad in something or that they wish they looked better. If you/they feel like that, reading this will hopefully make them feel very different, and realise how lucky they are.
Dede was a normal 15 boy living in Indonesia when, at the age of 15, he cut his knee at a construction site he was working on. Soon after this, his body seemed to start growing wart-like “roots” on his hands and feet. These expanded rapidly and over the years left him unable to carry out everyday tasks like holding things or writing. He was soon sacked from his job, being unable to perform it any more, and later left by his wife, leaving him to bring up two children on his own.
Doctors came to see him and then left, having no idea what was causing these growths on his body, and he forced to live in poverty. The only little work he got was taking part in circus “freak shows” - probably one of the most degrading jobs you could subject yourself to. While his immediate family and close friends tried to rally around him, it wasn’t long before he was regarded as a freak in his village, and someone you should not be around, for fear of catching the same disease he had. Looking at his hands, you can maybe understand why some people could be afraid of him. As time wore on, Dede became afraid that these lesions might cover his eyes and face completely, leaving him unable to see, talk, or eat.
But then he met Dr Anthony Gaspari, a dermatologist from the University of Maryland, who examined him. After extensive testing of Dede’s “skin” and blood, he was able to determine the disease that Dede had. The problem is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes small warts to grow on people who are infected. However, Dede had a dangerously low white blood cell count, which means his immune system was unable to fight the warts and keep them small. Consequently, the warts basically took over and grew over themselves again and again, resulting in the condition he has now. Initially, doctors suspected Dede might have AIDS (due to the low white blood cell count), but this was later dismissed. The chances of having this white blood cell deficiency are apparently around one in a million, so for him to have this deficiency and then get these warts is almost impossible. Unfortunately for Dede, the word “almost” is there…
But there is good news for this story. Dr Gaspari believes that a daily dose of a form of Vitamin A may be able to fight back against the warts his body has and keep them in check. “He won’t have a perfectly normal body but the warts should reduce in size to the point where he could use his hands… over the course of three to six months the warts should be come smaller and fewer in number. He will be living a more normal life” said Gaspari.
This full story was featured in the Daily Telegraph, and the photos are also taken from there. I think regardless of who you are, you can’t help but be shocked, horrified and touched by this story. Let’s hope, for Dede and his family’s sake, that the treatment he will undergo in the near future will be successful and he can return to having a normal life.
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That’s scary and very weird indeed.