In Tecoman, Colima, western Mexico, Luis Manuel is now a ten month old baby, but he weighs as much as a nine-year-old.
Luis Manuel tops the scales at 66 pounds, and his doctors fear that he might be suffering from a rare disease called Prader-Willi syndrome. This genetic disorder results in physical, mental, and behavioral problems, which all arise from a chronic hunger that never goes away. No matter how much food is consumed, the body will continue to crave more than it could handle. To learn more, click here.
Doctors think this is what led to his young obesity. His family cannot afford the medical treatment necessary, so they have launched a fundraiser to meet these goals. The treatment would consist of costly hormone injections coming in at 10,000 Mexican pesos (roughly 522 US dollars) each.
When he was born, Luis Manuel weighed in at a normal 7 pounds 11 ounces, but immediately began to gain weight.
“After only one month we noticed that clothes did not fit him, and we had to dress him in clothes for a one-year-old, and even a two-year-old,” said his mother Isabela pantoja. “We saw our baby gain weight so fast. Sometimes, he could not sleep because he felt like he was suffocating due to his weight.”
Doctors have confirmed that Luis Manuel weighs as much as a nine-year-old. He is currently two months away from his first birthday.
This genetic disorder when is caused by a loss of function in a particular gene, which results in the feeling of chronic hunger. Prader-Willi syndrome often leads to type-2 diabetes.
If he’s officially diagnosed, Luis Manuel will be the first recorded case of PWS in his small town. His father, Mario Gonzalez, is worried his son’s unusual weight could lead to a potential heart attack.
He assures donors that the crowdfunding campaign would keep a record of where each dollar went, ensuring that their money was being well spent on their son’s treatment.
“All help given for him, small or big, is good for him.”
