To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Woman Born With 20 Toes And 12 Fingers Says People Think She's A Witch

Woman Born With 20 Toes And 12 Fingers Says People Think She's A Witch

She can no longer go outside for fear of abuse from people in her community

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A woman who was born with 20 toes and 12 fingers says she has become a social outcast, with neighbours believing she is a witch.

Kumar Nayak, 63, was born with a rare condition called polydactyly, which causes people to have more than the average number of digits on their hands and/or feet.

But with no money to pay for treatment, Kumar, who lives in Ganjam, Odisha, in India, says she has no choice but to live with the condition.

And as a result of her extra fingers and toes, she says neighbours believe she is a witch and abuse her, meaning she is unable to go outside.

Kumar was born with the rare condition that causes people to have extra digits.
SWNS

Kumar 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."

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

Neighbours believe Kumar is a witch.
CEN

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

Meanwhile, a mother in Russia has spoken out after claiming she and her daughter received similar treatment from people in their community.

The parents of Sofya Zakharova were told that she would not be allowed to start nursery school because her deformed skull would scare other children.

The nursery said that the little girl should have an operation before her parents apply again.

However, her operation has been delayed, with experts warning that the little girl's development will be slowed down if she does not get the chance to interact with other children socially.

Speaking about the case, educational psychologist Ekaterina Belan told local media: "The sooner she gets the experience of interactions, the easier it will be for her to cope with the conditions in which she lives and grows.

The parents of Sofya Zakharova were told that their daughter's deformed skull would scare other children.
CEN

"The more interactions she gets, the easier it will be for her to accept herself for who she is."

The child was rejected for a place in the nursery school in a village in southern Russia.

Her mother, Svetlana Gizatullina, was allegedly told by the school that the fact that her daughter has a deformed skull, and fingers and toes that were fused together might scare the other children, and that she would need to have surgery before this decision could be reconsidered.

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: Science, World News, Health, Russia, India

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

X

@SmithersDom