This nine-year-old lad has been compared to the Marvel superhero Hulk because of a condition that makes his left arm look extremely muscular.
Schoolboy Prem Kumar has been subjected to bullying and taunts from his classmates.
The growth started out as a small tumour on his left hand.
It first appeared shortly after birth.
The growth spread unrelentingly as the years went by and now covers his whole arm and even encroaches on his chest and neck.
Prem lives in Bara Mundali, a remote village in Sheragada Tehsil, Ganjam District, Odisha, India.
His family says he is bright and hopes to go into higher education.
But they add that he faces stigma over his condition, which makes it hard for him to make friends and affects his mental health.
Furthermore, the sheer bulkiness of his arm makes it difficult for him to carry out everyday tasks.
And the poor lad even struggles to fall asleep at night because of the worries his condition gives him.
Prem’s dad, Karunakar Naik, is a day labourer and does not earn enough money to help his son get the medical treatment he needs.
It is unclear what condition he has, but a paediatrician said it may be a case of lymphatic filariasis.
Usually acquired in childhood, it occurs when mosquitoes transmit filarial parasites to humans.
Visible manifestations of the disease include lymphoedema, elephantiasis, and scrotal swelling.
Preventive chemotherapy can stop the spread of the infection.
