In a Rural Indian Village: The Heart-Wrenching Story of a ‘Werewolf’ Child

In a small village nestled in the heart of rural India, a heart-wrenching tale of prejudice and misunderstanding unfolds. The protagonist of this story is a young boy, his innocent spirit overshadowed by a cruel label imposed upon him by his community. He is shunned, not for his actions or character, but for an arbitrary physical trait that has led him to be considered a “werewolf.”

A baby boy covered in thick black hair is the latest member of a ‘werewolf family.’ The unnamed tot’s arms, face, and back are covered in a layer of thick black hair that will coarsen as he gets older. And new mother Manisha Sambhaji Raut, 22, from Pune, central India, is heartbroken that her son has inherited the same genetic condition that has blighted her life.

She said, “I always felt disgusted when I saw myself in the mirror, and now I wonder how my child will cope with the same trauma. My sisters and I were always teased and often nicknamed ghost, bear, and monkey. To know my son will also go through the pain and suffering I went through breaks my heart.”

The five-month-old baby boy, yet to be named, has inherited a rare gene that has been passed down from Manisha’s father. There is no known cure for Werewolf Syndrome, otherwise known as hypertrichosis universalis. It is so rare that only one in a billion people are affected. Manisha added, “I was happy when I delivered a baby boy, but when I realized he suffered the same syndrome as me, I was very upset. I was shattered. I wondered if I was cursed or if I made a mistake in life and God was punishing me and my son. But he is my baby, and I will love him unconditionally the way my mother took care of me, no matter how he looks.”

Since then, they have met with doctors and found a hair removal cream to use every four days to remove their heavy facial hair.

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