Boy ‘Worshipped’ For Being Born With A Tail Removes It To Live A Normal Life

A 14 year old boy who was worshipped because he was born with a tail has had it removed and is now set to walk and live a normal life.

The Mirror reports:

Arshid Ali Khan, who is just 14, has spent his short life being prayed to in his own temple with visitors often leaving cash or gifts in return for a blessing.

They believed the youngster – called Balaji to his devotees – was the reincarnation of Hindu monkey god Hanuman.

The boy was born with a seven-inch fleshy ‘tail’ growing from his back, but doctors at Fortis Hospital Mohali in Punjab have removed it, free of charge in a seven-hour operation to help him walk better in the future.

Balaji’s grandfather, Iqbal Qureshi, 64, said: “We’re extremely happy and thankful to the doctors for operating on Balaji and help him get rid of the tail.”

In 2001, when Balaji was born with his tail, measuring 10cm at birth, in his rural village outside Chandigarh in northern India, hundreds of people visited to worship him.

Many doctors went on to encourage the family to have the tail removed, but community pressure meant it went untreated.

However, as Balaji has grown, the tail has left him with twisted legs and feet leaving him unable to walk unaided.

Balaji’s father died in 2004, and his mother, Salma Begum, 28, abandoned Balaji a year later to marry again. His grandfather Iqbal has been caring for him ever since.

But in February this year they finally had some hope from a doctor at Fortis Hospital.

Dr Ashis Pathak, Director of Neurosurgery, at Fortis Hospital Mohali, and his team of surgeons performed the intricate surgery.

Dr Pathak said: “The surgery lasted close to seven hours and was complicated. Unfortunately, though nothing can be done to rectify the clubfoot deformity, we wanted to give the best possible medical treatment to Balaji, who is a very young boy.

“This surgery and treatment will ensure that Balaji not only sustains himself, but also supports his family when he grows up.”

The clubfoot associated with this spinal anomaly reflects the imbalance in development of foot muscles.

Balaji, who wants to be a music teacher when he grows up, said: “I’m very happy and delighted with my successful surgery. Now people will stop calling me god. I never liked it because I always believed I was a normal kid.

Iqbal added: “We’re now contemplating changing his name from Balaji back to Arshid Ali Khan. He won’t go to any Hindu festivals from now on, that time of his life is over. People used to think he was different but for us he was like any other child. Now he will be equally normal.”