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#25
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06-13-2009, 07:49 PM
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 My Rank: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS Poster Rank:3692 Female Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 90 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 2 Post(s)
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Re: Surgery for eight-limbed girl
After one operation and 40 days the Indian girl once revered as a goddess is on her feet and about to leave hospital. Two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma, a conjoined twin born with four arms and four legs, stood for the first time six days ago following a groundbreaking 27-hour operation in November. Her delighted parents Poonam and Shambu told how they watched in disbelief as their daughter climbed to her feet months sooner than expected. "We were warned it could be several months before she had enough strength in her legs to stand," said mum Poonam. "But she has shocked everyone, including the doctors. "A few days after the operation she was signalling with two fingers to show she understood her other limbs were gone. "As soon as the doctors allowed Lakshmi out of intensive care she was sitting and moving her legs. She would point to the scars on her stomach and make walking signs with her fingers. Lakshmi is named after the eight-limbed Hindu goddess of wealth. "Then last week she grabbed hold of the window ledge and pulled herself up to get her favourite toy. I had tears in my eyes, it was a dream I thought would never happen." Lakshmi, named after the eight-limbed Hindu goddess of wealth, is due to leave Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore on Saturday after a two-month stay. She will be cared for by SKSN, a charity for disabled children in Jodhpur, where her parents have been offered work. Despite the success of her operation, during which surgeons transplanted a kidney from Lakshmi's headless twin into her own body, moved her bowels and intestines into a more central position, amputated her parasitic twin and "closed" her pelvis, the toddler needs further surgery next year.  ·  · |
