A four-year-old boy in Bangladesh has a condition that makes him look like an elderly man.
Bayzid Sikder was born with a condition so rare that doctors have been unable to give him a formal diagnosis. It has prematurely given him wrinkles and sagging facial skin, as well as causing more serious health problems and malnourishment.
Mum Tripty Begum explained: “His liver and kidneys don’t function well and because of this he has issues urinating – at times he doesn’t go for days.”
Sikder’s parents have travelled across Bangladesh trying to get a diagnosis for their son but doctors have been left baffled and unable to provide an explanation.
Father Lavlu Hossain Sikder explained what happened after his son’s birth: “When Bayzid was born we were in Magura Sadar hospital for three days, then we went to a different hospital in Faridpur but even there the doctors were not able to identify the root cause of Bayzid’s illness so we came back home disappointed.”
Begum suffered depression after Sikder was born, admitting: “At first I even wanted to abandon Bayzid but then I realised that he’s a human and deserves a normal life just like any other kid.”
Doctors have prescribed Bayzid medication to try and treat the symptoms, but none of the treatments have been successful.
Consultant Debashish Biswas believes a cure does exist and the young boy will make a full recovery, but she is concerned that the potential cost of the treatment will stop his family accessing it.
Bayzid hasn’t yet started at school but his mother is worried about how he will interact with classmates: “Most of the time people outcast Bayzid as if he’s not a part of the society.
“When people used to see him they got scared because of his looks. At times people make fun of his looks but others also share their sympathy.”
The family remain optimistic about Bayzid’s prospect for recovery.