Two brothers and two sisters from a poor Pakistani family suffer from a rare condition called epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. This is one of the types of ichthyosis in which only the limbs are affected - the arms and legs. The skin scales are layered on top of each other and, hardening, form a very thick and tough crust.
19-year-old Habibulla Bhatti, his 10-year-old brother Nasebulla and their two sisters, 15-year-old Mehrunisa and 6-year-old Khairunisa are carriers of this rare disease, which occurs in only one person in 200,000 worldwide. Because of the thick layers of scales and pain, it is already very difficult for them to walk and they cannot even wear sandals.
The parents took their children to the doctors, but they could do nothing. Such a strong form of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis is incurable even in more developed countries. It is possible to slightly alleviate the condition of patients only with the help of softening creams. Upon learning of this, 50-year-old Nazir Bhatti and his wife, 48-year-old Abida Ali, are very concerned about the future of their children.
It is curious that the disease in all four manifested itself not from birth, although this anomaly is congenital, but only 3 years ago. First, the youngest, Khairunisa, fell ill, at first light scales appeared on her feet, then stronger ones. Six months later, the other three children had the same thing.
This circumstance baffled local doctors, since they were not aware of cases when congenital epidermolytic hyperkeratosis manifests itself in such a strange way, as if the youngest daughter had "infected" her brothers and sisters. Because of this, just in case, all the other three children who had not yet suffered, the parents sent to the grandmother's house.
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“Their skin is getting harder every day and sometimes it hurts so much that we give them hot water baths every hour. Unfortunately, with my earnings, I barely have enough food for my family,”says the father of the children.
After photos of sick children appeared on the Internet, local police officer Fida Hussein Mastoy decided to help them. He has arranged for the children to see a skin specialist from a clinic in Karachi and hopes that he will at least give them some relief.
