Confined to a wheelchair, a Vietnamese man with tree man syndrome shares his quiet, difficult journey.
Nguyen Van Son, 54, a resident of Gia Tuong commune, Ninh Binh province, suffers from one of the world’s rarest conditions, known medically as tree man syndrome.
He recalls that at age two, the soles of his feet began to develop thick calluses and small wart-like growths, about 2cm long, resembling fish eyes. These would persist for about a month, fall off, and regrow.
For more than five decades, Mr. Son has battled this debilitating condition. It has stripped him of his ability to walk, leaving him fully dependent on a wheelchair. His daily needs are now largely met by his 75-year-old mother.
“In the early days, I could still walk, albeit with difficulty,” he said. “With the help of others, I made it to grade seven before I had to quit school to seek treatment.”
Nguyen Van Son from Ninh Binh suffers from the rare “tree man syndrome.”
His current life revolves entirely around his wheelchair.
Over time, the skin on his feet thickened, became coarse and dry like tree bark, and his toes curled inward, making walking impossible. He resorted to crawling on his hands, which eventually became rough, twisted, and covered in thick, scaly skin.
His family took him to many major hospitals, consulted traditional healers, and tried various medications, but his condition didn’t improve. Doctors eventually conducted skin tissue biopsies and confirmed the diagnosis of tree man syndrome.
“No one wants to live with a condition like this,” Mr. Son shared. “Sometimes the pain, itching, and discomfort are so intense that I wish I could just remove my wooden-like limbs. It's both physically and mentally exhausting.”
Despite the thickened skin and the foul odor from the lesions on his hands and feet, Mr. Son is grateful they’ve never become infected.
When asked about marriage, he shook his head: “I’ve never considered it. I'm already struggling – I wouldn’t want anyone else to suffer because of me. All I truly wish for is some relief or, if lucky, a cure.”
He finds solace in small daily joys, like using his smartphone to read the news and chat with friends on social media.
His daily joy comes from using his smartphone to read the news and chat online.
He receives love and support from his family as he copes with this rare disease.
In the past, when his hands were still functional, Mr. Son often visited friends’ homes. Fascinated by electronics, he taught himself to repair televisions and fans using basic tools like a screwdriver and soldering iron.
Now unable to work with his hands, he still enthusiastically guides others in fixing broken appliances.
For bathing and personal hygiene, Mr. Son still relies partly on his elderly mother. However, he can feed himself with a spoon using the hands he has adapted to.
His wheelchair has been his loyal companion for years, enabling all his movement. His favorite part of the day is scrolling through his phone, staying connected with people through the internet.
He receives encouragement and support from family members, which helps him cope with his condition.
It’s worth noting that Mr. Son’s mother, Nguyen Thi Dan, lost her husband during the war in Quang Tri while she was pregnant. Since then, she and her son have leaned on each other, supporting one another through hardship.
Currently, Mr. Son is using a topical ointment provided by a Vietnamese professor living in Sweden. The cream helps ease the pain and discomfort caused by the condition.
Vietnamnet.vn
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