Half Man Half Tree Seeks Help from American Doctor

Half man half tree, Dede from Indonesia has a rare genetic disorder.  His immune system does not function as it should.  Dede has human papilloma virus, HPV, and when the first warts started to appear when he was 15, Dede’s body was unable to fight the infection, allowing the warts to spread all over his body making the skin appear treelike.

Dr. Anthony Gaspari, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is interested in Dede’s condition and believes that it is treatable.  “I’d never seen anything like this before.  I’ve become really interested in his case because it’s so absolutely unusual.  The growths he has are just something we don’t encounter in clinical medicine.”

Dede hopes that Dr. Gaspari can treat him.  “I worry that this disease will be passed to my children” he says.  “I’d love to be cured.”