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  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_004.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_006.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_009.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_011.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_013.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_012.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_014.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_017.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_015.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_019.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_020.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_023.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_028.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_030.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_033.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_034.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_035.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_036.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_038.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_039.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_040.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_002.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_003.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_007.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_005.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_008.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_010.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_018.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_016.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_021.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_022.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_024.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_026.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_025.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_027.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_029.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_031.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_032.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_037.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_041.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: Battling a rare health condition that has left half of her face disfigured, a 24-year-old Indian woman says she tries to live positively despite jeers by people. Sasikala K, from Chennai, the capital of India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, suffers from plexiform neurofibromatosis, which has taken a toll on her face, affecting the right side. However, she admits her confidence has taken a hit of late. Sasikala, who prefers to live boldly and does not cover her face, likes dressing up and wearing make-up, much like girls her age, though she finds it difficult to execute them owing to her complications. She was only six-months-old when her parents noticed a part of her face swelling. However, they waited for another one and a half years to get medical help. “I have always been very bold, however, with age, the condition progressed and no one has come for help,” she says, adding, “I am slowly losing my confidence.” According to medical experts, her condition affects the face and craniofacial region of the body. It can also affect the neck and other parts of the body, depending upon the host. The family had not considered the deformity to be a big issue until Sasikala turned six and the face started to swell at an unusual rate. Now, almost 18 years later, she finds it difficult to execute daily chores like eating and brushing. The 24-year old is an employee at an embroidery unit run by a trust. Sasikala took it up as a means to support her family after completing her diploma in nursing and unable to land a job in the hospitality sector. Kumar, 54, Sasikala’s father, says his daughter has been under the knife four times, but it has only gotten worse. “She was six when doctors operated upon her for the first time,” Kumar says. “The result was satisfying and she looked normal,” he added. However, the joy was short-lived, as the tumours grew back again. Kumar says upon approaching the doctors again, he was told that it could be controlled but wou
    MEGA506733_001.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_008.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_010.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_005.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_011.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_006.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_002.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_003.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_007.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_001.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_009.jpg
  • EXCLUSIVE: By Sanjay Pandey and Supito Maity in Sao Paulo A 28-year-old Brazilian woman crippled by sheer weight and disproportionate size of tumours in her lower limbs is pleading for help from the netizens. Karina Rodini, who was fired from her job and is forced stay unmarried due to her medical condition, says the disease took a heavy toll on her personal and professional life. Karina has spent most of her adult life hiding it in public. But after last year’s botched up surgery in a state-run hospital, her ‘legs have become double the size and no clothes fit her’, making her a pariah in the locality. Karina suffers from type one neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition marked by changes in skin colour and the growth of non-cancerous cysts in different parts. The disease affects one in 4000 people globally. According to the US National Library of Medicine, patient with type one neufibromatosis are born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell. It said, "In about half of cases, the altered gene is inherited from an affected parent. The remaining cases result from new mutations in the NF1 gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family." Karina, from Sao Paulo, was just two when ‘coffee milk’ patches started to appear on her skin. She said due to the lack of formation of lumps, the doctors could barely make out what ailed her. “I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis when I was only two years old, at first it was only ‘coffee milk’ patches so the doctor couldn’t do anything because there were no lumps or tumours,” she said. The cysts started to show up almost nine years later. One year later, when she was 12, Karina underwent a surgical procedure to remove a cyst, weighing around nine kilograms, from her uterus. According to her, the cavity gave her a semblance of a pregnant woman. Being the oldest child among three, Karina has always received love from her mother, Fatima M. Abou Ali, 58, a single woman, who raised
    MEGA348608_004.jpg