So last night I was flipping channels and I saw one called, "My Shocking Story: Half Man, Half Tree" on TLC. (I guess it originally aired on the Discovery Channel). This man got a cut on his leg when he was 15 years old, and because of HPV (the human papillomavirus) and a depleted immune system, he got warts but has not been able to fight them off like normal people and they have turned his hands and feet into what looks like tree branches! I don't know why, but this has just completely FLOORED me and I have not been able to stop obsessing about it since last night. I didn't know such a thing was even possible!
He's from a remote village in Indonesia, and he's been to doctors there, and they removed the warts, but the warts just grew back faster. A doctor from America went to visit him and thinks it's treatable with some Vitamin A to help boost his immune system. However, his government won't let him leave the country. He was a fisherman, used to be married, and has 2 teenage kids. But b/c of this, his wife left him, he can't feed himself, dress himself, he can barely walk, etc. So in order to make money, he joined a "freak show" there to earn a small living. (Check out this blog to see pictures of the other people in the freak show).
It just broke my heart to see these people like this. And you have to wonder if you should be mad at the guy who is making a profit off of them by putting them in this "freak show" and having people pay to see them? Or is he doing them a favor by providing them a living? It breaks my heart how the bubble man said, "This is not our fault. This is how God made us." I feel such compassion for these people and am amazed at how much courage they must have to just live their everyday lives knowing how cruel people can be. That is the one thing that will turn me into the meanest person you've ever met...when people are cruel and make fun of those who are different, less fortunate, etc. Anyways, it made me think a lot about the different challenges we all face and how it's harder for these people b/c their challenges are their outside physical appearances. My heart goes out to them.
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4 comments:
wow...that's all i have to say. I followed your link and looked into it more. so sad.
in answer to your question on my blog i got the vinyl at Roberts. And I used the Cricut to cut them out. They also have a lot of pre-printed sayings that you can buy from them.
Besides the fact that the picture above is the nastiest THING I have ever seen in my life, I am glad you have a blogspot! GROSS! I will have nightmares for weeks. Anyway it's good to see you and your family. I think they are so fun. I know Jobi, because I went to A.F. high school. I moved from California towards the middle of my senior year. I am glad we know someone it common especially a great person like Jobi. I hope all is well and we will see you this summer in Texas.
whoa...that's ...I don't even know the word. Sad.
Yea, I don't know how to respond. I feel bad, but dang that's nasty.
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