The obese boy who made international headlines for eating toilet paper because of a rare condition which meant he always felt hungry has passed away at the age of 11.
South African youngster Caden Benjamin suffered from the rare Prader-Willi syndrome which is characterised by an obsessive compulsion to eat, and weighed 90 kilogrammes (14 stone 2lbs) by the time he was 10.
He died at the Steve Biko Hospital in the city of Pretoria in South Africa’s Gauteng Province on November 15.
Caden’s condition meant his brain could not register that his body did not need to eat anymore after he ate a meal, meaning the youngster never felt full.
The 11-year-old, from Standerton in South Africa, ended up eating toilet paper and dirt if he was unable to get any other food.
Reports state that his obesity led to serious problems with his breathing, and several years ago, Caden was forced to undergo a tracheotomy and breathed ever since through a tube inserted into his windpipe.
The condition also meant he had an enlarged heart, diabetes and depression.
Family friend Gila Sacks had started a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to help pay for Caden’s care as Zola could not afford his medication. It has now been extended to try and raise funds to pay for the funeral.
Sacks told reporters that Zola ‘was devastated’ at ‘losing her only child’.
She said that Caden was Zola’s ‘whole life’ who she wants to be remembered as the ‘sweet, brave boy’ he was.
His mother Zola Benjamin described last year the difficulties of the condition.