Karam Sarmed, from Baghdad, in Iraq, was admitted to Jaypee Hospital, in Noida, northern India, with Polymelia disease. Polymelia is a birth defect which means that Karam was born with more than the normal number of limbs. Karam had four extra limbs two hands and two legs. However, one limb was much shorter than a usually sized leg and the other one was divided into two separate limbs. In addition, both a leg and a hand were protruding from Karam's stomach. While the hospital in Iraq was unable to perform the operation, the boy’s father Dr Sarmed Ahmed, 28, an emergency doctor, had heard of previous successful surgeries done in India. As a result, he and his wife Gulfran Ali, 28, decided to fly Karam to India when he was just 17 days old, hoping for a miracle.
He said: "He’s my first child and it was heartbreaking to see his condition. We were devastated."We went to several doctors and hospitals in my country, but due to a lack of facilities, they refused to do surgery. They said they cannot operate. Dr Abhishek, a consultant in the paediatrics department, at Jaypee Hospital, said: "When the baby was brought to the hospital, his limbs and intestines were distorted, and he only had one kidney. "A team of doctors from multiple departments discussed his condition and we mutually agreed to correct the limbs and distorted intestines in three stages."Dr Gaurav Rathore, a senior consultant, from the orthopaedics department, at Jaypee Hospital, said: "In the first stage, Karam’s clubfeet were treated and the two limbs which were protruding out of his stomach were removed."After surgery, Karam went back to Iraq and we were in contact with the parents by phone and email for important advice." "Recently, we performed the third stage of the surgery in which we removed the other two limbs. Like any other normal kid, Karam now has two legs."However, the boy's left leg was not developed completely, meaning that doctors transplanted the muscles of the removed limbs into it. Along with this, Karam’s crooked back was also treated with pelvic osteotomy surgery.
Karam also had one normal testicle on the right side but on the left side, he had two testicles. During surgery, one testicle was removed and the other was corrected. The family will remain in hospital until Karam is strong enough to travel back to Iraq. Dr Sarmed added: "My son is alright now. His condition is really stable."I’m glad to say he’s responded well to treatment. We’re looking forward to going home now."The family's story comes as a boy is desperate for surgery after his head has swollen to twice its normal size.