Woman, 63, born with 19 toes and 12 fingers

Woman, 63, who was born with 19 TOES and 12 fingers reveals she can’t leave her house because her neighbours think she is a witch

• Kumar Nayak, 63, from India, was born with the abnormality polydactyly
• The birth defect causes extra fingers and toes and can be operated on
• But Ms Nayak, of Odisha, India, has been unable to pay for treatment
• She said her neighbours call her a witch and abuse her for her extra digits

An Indian woman who was born with 19 toes and 12 fingers has revealed her cruel neighbours think she is a witch. 

Kumar Nayak, 63, was born with the abnormality polydactyly, a genetic birth defect that caused her to have the extra digits.

She barely leaves her house in Ganjam, Odishi, because strangers have abused her for her abnormality, local reports say. 

Ideally she would have had treatment years ago, but her family have never had the money.

Instead, Ms Nayak has learnt to live with the nasty comments and said she normally stays indoors to avoid it.

A 63-year-old woman called Kumar Nayak was born with 19 toes

The rare birth defect polydactyly causes Ms Nayak to also have 12 fingers

Neighbours of Ms Nayak call her witch because of her abnormal feet and hand

Ms Nayak said: ‘I am forced to stay indoors as I am treated differently’

Polydactyly affects around one in 700-1,000 births worldwide, and Ms Nayak has an extreme case.

Extra digits can range from a nubbin to a complete, working finger or toe. 

Ms Nayak said: ‘I was born with this defect and I couldn’t be treated as we belonged to a poor family.

‘It has been 63 years I have been in the condition I am today. The residents nearby believe that I am a witch and keep away from me.

‘But sometimes more visitors come to see my condition. I am forced to stay indoors as I am treated differently.’

Normally treatment for polydactyly is recommended under the age of six

Polydactyly affects around one in 700-1,000 births worldwide

 A nice neighbour of Ms Nayak said: ‘I feel so sorry for her’

One neighbour, who is more sympathetic, added: ‘I know she has a medical problem and it has nothing to do with what others believe her to be.

‘I feel so sorry for her that she can not even afford to get herself treated.’ 

Surgery for polydactyly depends on each individual, but is recommended between the age of one and six years old.  

Last month a Chinese man, 21, born with nine toes on his left foot had life-changing surgery to remove the four extra toes on his left foot.

Known only as Ajun, he spent his childhood avoiding any social interaction and was made to feel worthless and ‘imperfect’, local reports state.

However, Ajun’s superstitious parents did not want him to have the toes removed because a fortune teller told them they were a good omen.

But Ajun resisted and sought medical help. He said his feet are ‘perfect’ since doctors operated to rid him of the extra toes.

Last month, a Chinese man born with nine toes on his left foot underwent life-changing surgery to remove the four extra toes on his left foot 

WHAT IS POLYDACTYLY?  

Polydactyly is a birth defect that occurs when a person is born with extra fingers or toes. It affects around one in every 700-to-1,000 births worldwide.

During the sixth or seventh week of pregnancy, a foetus’ ‘paddle hands and feet’ divide into fingers and toes. Polydactyly occurs when the ‘paddle’ splits too many times.  

The extra digit(s) can range from a nubbin to a complete, working finger or toe. 

Most of the time the finger or toe is smaller than the other digits and poorly formed. If fully formed, it will contain all the normal bone, blood vessels and nerves.

Polydactyly is thought to occur randomly but may have a genetic element or be linked to an underlying condition. The condition is usually spotted on an ultrasound scan.

Surgery to remove the extra digits usually occurs when a child is one or two years old. This should leave them with a hand or foot that functions, and looks, as normal. 

 

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