Lakshmi Tatma is a little girl from India who became famous immediately after her birth. The baby was born in the most ordinary family, she owes world attention to a rare physical anomaly. The girl’s body has grown together with the twin parasite, the development of which for some reason stopped during the pregnancy of the mother.
Divine gift or curse?
Lakshmi Tatma was born into an Indian family. Parents of the girl belong to one of the poorest segments of the population. Working on day jobs, they earn less than $ 1 a day. Lakshmi was born on December 31, 2005, she became the second child in the family. Pregnancy proceeded without any serious complications. The girl was born on a big holiday - the day of the celebration of the deity of Vishnu, which, according to Indian beliefs, has 4 hands. The sight of the newborn was struck by her mother and doctors - the baby had 8 limbs. This anomaly is explained by the presence of a Siamese twin parasite. This type of connection of bodies is called ishiopagi. The twins are fused with buttocks. The girl, named Lakshmi Tatma in honor of the goddess of wealth and fertility, was recognized as viable. Her brother-parasite stopped in development, he did not have a head, only his body and limbs.
Doctors Forecasts
Due to the unusual body structure, the girl could not learn to walk independently, perform many simple actions and develop like all other children. Medical examinations showed not very good results. Each of the twins had only one fully functioning kidney, many other organs were also repeated in both twins. Doctors said that Tatma Lakshmi, most likely, would not live up to two years, and one could not even dream of an older age. The condition of the girl could hardly be called good, ulcers and pressure sores constantly appeared on her body. Since Lakshmi’s body has all the viable organs, a separation operation has been proposed from the first months of the baby’s life. The problem was the lack of funds for the poor family. The situation was saved by Sharan Patil - a famous surgeon. Having learned the history of Lakshmi, he offered to carry out the separation operation for free.
The beginning of a new life
After serious preparations, an operation was performed in 2007. Doctors managed to remove the twin parasite from Lakshmi's body. This operation was recognized as one of the most difficult to date. Its approximate cost is estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Surgical intervention was performed for 27 hours, all this time 30 highly qualified surgeons worked in shifts. Lakshmi Tatma had a good surgery and quickly recovered. After surgery, a rehabilitation course was conducted. Doctors have planned several more operations, thanks to which it will be possible to reduce the distance between the patient's legs and make her buttocks, since she does not have them from birth.
Life after surgery
During the operation, the kidney of her brother-parasite was transferred to the girl’s body. By the age of 4, Lakshmi had learned to confidently walk independently and perform all the same actions as her peers. The gait of the girl is a little unusual, and she also has a curvature of the spine. For these reasons, Tatma Lakshmi is studying at a special institution for children with disabilities. The girl dreams of graduating from high school and becoming a teacher. Lakshmi and her family are regularly visited by journalists who want to make a story about this success of modern medicine personally. Doctors do not abandon the family, doctors still help their patient for free.
