I read with great interest the amazing story of the young Indian girl born with eight limbs, and the incredible surgery she endured yesterday to remove the useless limbs and parasitic twin from birth. The child has one complete body with a near perfect set of organs. But her skeletal system has two bodies fused together at the pelvis.A girl born with 8 limbs is an incredibly rare birth defect which prompted some locals in her village in Bihar to believe she was a reincarnation of the multi-limbed Hindu goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, wealth, purity, generosity, and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. In fact, her mother said she believed her daughter was a reincarnation of the the goddess Vishnu and is a miracle.
The toddler, who was appropriately named Lakshmi was unable to walk, so the operation was required to allow the child to live beyond her toddler years. While the operation is being called a success, Lakshmi is still in serious condition, under a ventilator. Let's hope she pulls through and has a normal life. Below are the amazing photos of the young girl before the surgery.
-Rick Rockhill
I just caught up on your last few posts. All interesting stuff. Can you post an update to this story when you hear about it? I wasn't aware of this little girl or her surgery. How amazing it will be for her to be able to walk. I'm surprosed the mother allowed the surgery, as she thought her daughter was a miracle.
ReplyDeleteI was reading about this little girl on CNN.com yesterday. Whatever one's thoughts are on reincarnation, I think children are brought into our lives for specific reasons, and it's possible that this special little girl is destined for really big things. Of course, her very existence is already a miracle.
ReplyDeleteYes the operation took forty non stop hours. That is a parasitic twin. Such a case occurs when a twin embryo begins developing in the womb but the pair does not separate. One maintains dominant development. The undeveloped twin is called parasitic, not conjoined because it is not completely formed and is dependent on the body functions of the complete child.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that they went forward with the surgery and did not hold back based on that fact that the child may be a goddess reincarnated. I'm glad the child's best interests were considered.
ReplyDeleteGod, that's absolutely incredible. Thank god for the advancement of medicine, otherwise, she'd have a future as a circus sideshow.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the article the other day and it was so fasinating to me to see this..I hope this little angel does recover at 100%!!
ReplyDeleteAlways,
Crusty~
Oh duh! I emailed Mona and THEN realized she already commented. Silly me.
ReplyDeleteThis IS amazing!!
--snow
I, too, have been following this story. Fascinating. I love the status of reverence that her community gives her. Unfortunately, I don't think that would happen in the US with such a child.
ReplyDeleteMona- thanks for stopping by with your comment and perspective from your side of the news world. We're all wishing her well.
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