A teenager has been dubbed the ‘modern-day elephant man’ after a rare condition has caused his skin to sag.Now Bhupinder Singh, 16, has become a virtual recluse – because he’s terrified of people staring and making cruel remarks.Bhupinder suffers from a rare condition called neurofibromatosis, which has left him with half lips, a sagging nose, and a missing eye and ear on the right side of his face.
The teen, from India, was shunned from school because of his unusual appearance, and he’s been left too scared to leave the safety of his small neighbourhood where he’s accepted by friends and family.
Despite his fear, the fun-loving teen from Chandigarh in Punjab is just like any other energetic, spirited boy of his age.
“They say I’m a freak, and that it looks like I’m melting,” he continued.
“I try not to let it get to me, but it’s made me scared to leave my neighbourhood.
“I prefer to stay here where people know me, and accept me for who I am rather than what I look like.
“It’s difficult not knowing what the future holds, and I hope one day I’ll have the courage to go out into the world.
“It’s hard being different, but I try to stay positive and despite everything I live a happy life.”
Bhupinder was born with a small tumour on his right eyelid – but as he got older it grew and grew, slowly spreading until it engulfed half his face and left him partially blind.
His parents had known about his possible condition and its consequences before he was born – but despite the risks, they wholeheartedly welcomed him into the world.
His mum Kaushalya Devi, 45, said: “Doctors had informed us about a tumour on his right eyelid after conducting an ultrasound during my pregnancy.
They said an operation might control it, but it wouldn’t be possible until he turned 20.
“They just sent us back home with medicines that sadly never worked.”
But as Bhupinder grew up, his face started to droop so drastically that he had to undergo emergency surgery when he was just nine years old.
Ram said: “His face had drooped so much that we had to request doctors to do something.
“Even though they did not give us any assurance, we were hopeful of some magic.
“He had surgery, but that did not really help the swelling.
“He then had two more surgeries, but none were successful.”