Father to-be without a face fears how his children will turn out

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
10/19/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Indian man prays that his children are normal

An Indian man, currently without a face - but rather folds of flesh, will soon be a proud father-to-be. However, the 32-year-old Mohammad Latif Khatana, who cannot see or work due to the severe creases on his face is now worried if his rare malady will be transferred to his progeny.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - While happily married, strangers still spit on the road as he walks by, disgusted by his deformity.

Latif's wife is seven months pregnant, but he still harbors misgivings. "I cannot wait to be a father and have some happiness in my life. But I worry every day and pray my child is not born like me."

Living high in the mountains with his 25-year-old wife Salima, in Tuli Bana, in Jammu and Kashmir, Latif travels to Srinagar for four months out of the year to beg and find money.

Born with a small lump on his face, the lump continued to grow and form huge flaps across his face, making it impossible for him to see. "My mother still cries when she looks at me. She feels so much guilt and cannot understand why her youngest boy was cursed."

The youngest of two brothers and three sisters, he's the only child in his family suffering this condition.

He says that without his siblings, he would've lived a very lonely childhood without friends.

"Nobody wanted to play with me as a child," he added. "The boys in my village used to beat me and taunt me every day. I lost my left eye when I was eight years old and they used to call me one-eye freak."

Latif faces many struggles as an adult. While he is a strong man, with his failing eyesight and facial condition, no one will give him a job.

"I'd love to do an honest day's work like a normal man providing for his family. It would make me so proud, but no one will give me a chance. I have to beg and hope people take pity on me so that I can feed my family."

He sometimes earns 400 Rupees a day begging, but he's mindful of the many occasions when people spat on him as they walked past.

"Three young girls walked past me once and they spat at my feet and ran away with scarves covering their mouths. I was so embarrassed.

"I was shocked at how cruel they were. I felt very depressed for days. But I had to pick myself up and get on with it."

However -- four years ago, he finally met the love of his life. His parents had tried to find him a wife but no girl would come forward, until Latif heard about Salima.

"My wife has only one foot, and so for many years she struggled to meet a husband. As soon as we met we knew we were right for one another," he remembers. "We were both medically incomplete, we were a good match."

They married in a Muslim summer ceremony with 400 guests, in August 2008, and have been happy ever since.

"I feel very blessed to have met Salima, she is good for me.

"I feel a little normal now I have a wife, a little more complete than I did before. And now that she is pregnant with our first child I am even happier. No matter how I look I am a happy man right now."

Latif is in no pain and takes no medication, still worries his child will be born with the same facial condition.

He has had no luck with local doctors. He remembers that one local doctor told him "that my condition was due to a solar eclipse when my mother was pregnant with me. I don't know whether to believe him.

"And now there is so many veins going through my creases that surgery would be too dangerous. I have lost all hope of help.

"This is how I'll look forever."

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: India, facial deformity, love, marriage, children

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1 - 9 of 9 Comments

Michael Champion
7 months ago
Please email me Mr. Khatana's adress or Church adress so I can help him
DLL
7 months ago
In the Sick and the deformed we see Christ suffering. We need not pity them we just need to offer them our prayers,love,help and support.
Juan
7 months ago
May the lord our GOD heals you and your wife and gives you a happy healthy child and that He also supplies all your needs through the SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY WE PRAY AMEN AMEN AMEN.
GOD BLESSES YOU MY FRIEND
TC
7 months ago
How beautiful that he found love. I pray that somehow his situation is resolved.
Some Girl
7 months ago
I am sad that no one had empathy or that the kids didn't and that they didn't play with him and instead beat him this is so sad to me....I'm sorry he felt such loneliness!
Kevin
7 months ago
Sounds like neurofibromatosis, a genetic defect due to a chromosomal abnormality affecting cellular proteins, depending on the type. Unfortunately, it's autosomal recessive, which means his child has a 50% chance of acquiring the disease (depending on the expressivity). Or it could be from a solar eclipse.
Neil
7 months ago
Dear God, bless this poor man.
It is very unfortunate and inhumane for anyone to suffer like this.
This is not right. God protect this man and his child to be!
Donna
7 months ago
Has he been evaluated in a US or European hospital by an expert? Maybe someone reading this article can refer him to a teaching hospital where there is a physician skilled in the type of surgeries he may need. Please help him look into this, there have been other difficult cases where treatment was possible, with the right surgeon.
Catherine Anne Hayes Ulasinski
7 months ago
My heart and prayers go out to Mr.Khatana and his wife and soon to be born child. He is a very brave and good man. I can not help but feel that in this day and age there has got to be some organization out there that can help him with his medical condition no matter how difficult it is. If EVER there was a person who deserves and needs help it is Mr. Khatana. Can not Catholic Online bring Mr. Khatana's plight to some organizatoin's attention? Catholic Charities are you listening? Bill Gates? Somebody? if I were rich myself I would bring him and his family here to the USA to the best doctors. This man deserves a fighting chance. He is a hard worker. I will pray VERY HARD that some organization or someone with some influence sees this article and will take it upon themselves and gets Mr Khatana the medical attention he so richly deserves!!! God Bless him and his family.

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