- Latest news▼
-
15:32, April 26 ESCMID: New method of purifying the air with ultraviolet light could protect world from new pandemic
-
08:43, April 26 Enzymes that convert different blood groups into first group are discovered
-
19:41, April 25 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and International Center of Professional Development Allergy/Immunology Conference
-
17:31, April 25 JAMA: patient grew long, curly eyelashes because of chemotherapy
-
11:08, April 25 Mpox epidemic declared in Republic of the Congo
-
08:31, April 25 OU: quitting smoking 4 times more likely to cure laryngeal cancer
-
01:20, April 25 Paralyzed man in China writes hieroglyphs using neural implants placed in his brain
-
15:11, April 24 Zombie deer disease possibly linked to hunters’ deaths
-
12:27, April 23 Appetite: Scientists found out the secret to the appeal of large portions of fast food
-
10:33, April 23 Scientists test new approach to fighting viruses
-
08:38, April 23 Ketamine may help with postpartum depression
-
22:12, April 22 Unhealthy amount of sugar found in baby food products of a well-known brand
-
19:41, April 22 Air pollution puts health of more than 1.6 billion workers globally at risk
-
17:25, April 22 Scientists found baked goods and lack of sleep to be more dangerous than alcohol
-
16:02, April 22 342 cases of measles recorded in Armenia so far in 2024
All materials
The 'human snake' sheds her skin every six weeks
A 'human snake' teenager who sheds her skin every six weeks because of a rare condition is set to get life-improving treatment in Europe.
Shalini Yadav, 16, needs to constantly smear her body with moisturiser and have a bath every hour to stop it from hardening and seizing up.
But her family are so poor they couldn't afford any specialist treatment to ease her ailments, leaving her unable to walk without a stick or straighten her limbs.
Local fundraisers heard about her painful existence and alerted hospitals around the world - including one in Spain who has now agreed to treat Shalini for free.
The teenager, from Nowgong town in Chattarpur district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, will fly to Spain tomorrow for treatment.
She said: 'I was very excited to learn that we'd be going to Spain. I have seen the place in an Indian TV show - now I will actually get to see it.
Doctors have diagnosed Shalini with erythroderma, an inflammatory skin disease also known as 'red man syndrome', but were unable to treat it.
It causes the skin over almost the entire body to become scaly and flake off and Shalini has shed her skin every 45 days since she was born, reports suggest.
She has to soak her body in water every hour - night and day - and smear himself with lotion every three hours to prevent drying out.
Her mother Devkunwar said: 'I feel so helpless when I see her skin coming off, causing excruciating pain to my child.
'This disease is not killing her but taking her life bit by bit. We have no idea where to go to and who to consult.'
Devkunwar, a carer in a state-funded community centre, is so heart-broken she says death would be kinder to her daughter.
She added: 'It is better to die than living a life of misery.'
Shalini's two siblings Sejal, 15, and Price, eight, are deemed medically healthy with no such complication.
Her father Rajbahadur, a daily wage worker, said: 'It's really sad because she was not born normally and has scaly skin all over her body.
'It is similar to being severely burnt, from the sole of her feet to her head.'
Shalini got help after India-based press agency Newslions highlighted her plight. It has since helped pay for her expenses.
She is being treated for free at Regional University Hospital and Virgen de la Victoria of Malaga. Doctors hope she will be able to walk without a stick after the treatment.
Rajbahadur added: 'I am very grateful for all that the hospital from Spain is offering. Without their help... my daughter would never get a shot at leading a normal life.'
Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter
- Video
- Event calendar
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and International Center of Professional Development Allergy/Immunology Conference
- First Armenian-German Conference entitled “Heart Failure Spring School”
- Allogeneic bone marrow transplant in case of hematological malignancy performed in Armenia for first time
All materials
- Archive
- Most read
month
week
day
- Scientists found baked goods and lack of sleep to be more dangerous than alcohol 1029
- Next pandemic likely to be triggered by flu - scientists 999
- 342 cases of measles recorded in Armenia so far in 2024 952
- Scientists develop new method to safely stimulate immune cells to fight cancer 812
- Blood test can determine who is at risk of developing multiple sclerosis - scientists 810
- Cognitively stimulating jobs in midlife could lower dementia risk in old age, study finds 810
- Air pollution puts health of more than 1.6 billion workers globally at risk 773
- Unhealthy amount of sugar found in baby food products of a well-known brand 769
- Ketamine may help with postpartum depression 768
- Appetite: Scientists found out the secret to the appeal of large portions of fast food 762
- Scientists test new approach to fighting viruses 745
- BrainStimulation: electrical brain stimulation alleviates anxiety and depression in the elderly 743
- Zombie deer disease possibly linked to hunters’ deaths 681
- Mpox epidemic declared in Republic of the Congo 474
- Paralyzed man in China writes hieroglyphs using neural implants placed in his brain 446
- Find us on Facebook
- Poll