Rare condition makes three-year-old boy’s leg QUADRUPLE in size

A three-year-old boy suffers from a rare genetic disorder which has caused his leg to swell to four times its normal size.

Akshaj Khandelwal has Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS) - which affects one in 100,000 people and prevents him from walking normally.

The condition also causes his leg to bleed if he tries to walk more than a few steps and prevents him from going to school on his own. 

Unaware of it being a medical condition, the toddler just believes his larger leg is a gift and he is lucky to have it.

People often maintain a distance from him out of fear of being infected - leaving his family scared he will get bullied by other children as he grows older.

But his worried father Ankur, from Delhi, India, believes he is still too young to be told the reality of his condition - for which there is no cure.

Mr Khandelwal said: 'My son doesn't know what the condition is. We don't want to make him feel bad. 

'He believes having a big leg makes him a superman. He is too young to know his problems.

'He cannot go to school on his own. It's a very challenging thing to send him to the school. 

'Before joining the school we had to make sure how he would explain his condition to his friends.

'We make sure that he takes his condition positively. I told him not to fight your friends if they bully you. 

'But this can't happen always. Today he is listening but tomorrow he won't. That's my only concern.' 

His distraught parents have visited almost all the hospitals in New Delhi and have returned without any help.

Doctors at Fortis Hospital remain confused about the condition and say it is unlikely he will be treated successfully.  

KTS is a rare genetic condition which affects the development of blood vessels, soft tissues and bones. 

It has three main side effects: a 'port wine stain' (Marley's big 'bruise'), the overgrowth of bones - particularly limbs - and varicose veins.

Dr Krishan Chugh, head of pediatrics, said: 'KTS is a form of malformation where the veins are not properly formed. It's a disorder found mainly among children.

'Akshaj has a tendency to bleed from his intestines and investigations have shown that intestinal blood supply is not normal. 

'The veins are over distended and they will have a tendency to bleed.'

Akshaj's devoted parents will continue to seek a cure for their son's condition but admit that it's painful watching their son's suffering.

His mother Shruti said: 'We have met all the doctors in Delhi but till now we haven't able to find any treatment. His health is falling as he grows.

'The size of his leg is increasing day by day and that's what breaks my heart.'

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