Man with 9kg hands opens up about his love life as he reveals the questions people always ask

A dad with an extremely rare condition that has caused his hands to grow to 10 times their usual size has explained the one thing people get wrong about his relationship with his girlfriend.

Mark Davidson Jacildo, from the Philippines, suffers from macrodactyly, which is believed to affect just 1 in 100,000 people.

The condition means that one or more fingers or toes undergo excessive growth, which can result in stiffness, limited mobility and pain, according to the National Library of Medicine.

For Mark, who was born with the condition, it means his left hand weighs a whopping 7kg, while his right weighs 2kg.

He told TLC’s Most Extreme Humans: “It’s like having a rock in your hands.”

Naturally, this had a huge impact on his day-to-day life.

He recalls in third grade at school, he was one of the few children who couldn’t tie his shoelaces.

Mundane tasks like chopping vegetables are also more difficult, and he’s suffered abuse for his condition, with cruel commenters comparing him to Marvel superhero the Incredible Hulk.

He met his girlfriend Jelai on Facebook four years ago.

She told truly: “At first I didn’t think his photos were real, if it was edited or not.

“I found him attractive. I’m really here with him because I love him.”

Mark said: “She didn’t really ask about my condition or what happened to my hands. I think that’s what I like about her.”

Jelai said the couple often receive cruel comments claiming she’s just with him for his money, and he had a hilariously blunt response.

He said: “You know, in reality I don’t really have that much [money].”

There is one other comment that gets under his skin - that he’s not able to look after his daughter and support his family.

He said: “They think that I wouldn’t be a great father. I’m just someone that would make life harder for Jelai because Jelai would have to focus on taking care of me.

“In reality, I’m the one taking care of her all the time.

“I think they were thinking that I have like a caregiver. Someone helps me put on my clothes, even eating.”

In fact, the only thing Jelai helps him with is putting in his earrings, and he’s found a way to navigate pretty much everything else.

He said: “I always have a positive mindset. I can’t do anything about my hands. It is what it is.”

Jelai said: “I love how he handles himself as a person, even knowing he has that type of condition, he still manages to take care and always look after us.”

Treatment for macrodactyly is challenging. The National Library of Medicine notes ‘surgical interventions in macrodactyly are considered one of the most challenging in congenital hand surgery’.

It even adds: “Acknowledging the risk of recurrence and repetitive operations promotes the consideration of amputations.”

But Mark has found a way to live with the condition.

He told TLC: “I’m just a dad making sure that I provide for my family, going to work, hanging out with my friends. Just a normal guy.”