Welcome to Kingsley Amaechi's Blog: Meet the young Bangladeshi girl who suffers from werewolf syndrome

12 year old Bithi Akhtar from Tangail district in central Bangladesh suffers from werewolf syndrome, a rare condition that has left her coveted from head to toe in long hairs. However other medical experts suggest she may also be suffering from hirsutism - excessive growth of hair that is usually thick and dark.

From Dailymail UK :

Bithi Akhtar, from Tangail district in central Bangladesh, was apparently born with 'werewolf syndrome', according to local media reports, however other medical experts suggest she may also be suffering from hirsutism

Her mother Beauty Akhtar, 27, said:

'My daughter was born with thick black hair that looked like wool all over her body.We sought help from several doctors but no one could treat her completely. Now, at least, the hair has stopped growing any longer.'

The hair may have stopped growing but it appeared abnormal growth wasn't restricted to just Bithi's hair. Last year, as she neared puberty, Bithi's mother noticed her daughter's breasts had started growing at an abnormal rate.And by the end of the year, they were so big she was not even able to stand straight under the weight. Eventually she was forced her to stop going to school.

"I understood it was natural as she was hitting puberty but her growth was again abnormal,' her mother explained. Her breasts grew so fast that they became really heavy and started sagging below her stomach. She would cry all day long because of the immense pain due to the weight. She could not walk or sit straight."

The pain and jibes forced Bithi to stop attending school despite being a bright student. Bithi's miserable condition left her parents both distressed and worried for her future.

Their two other children do not suffer any health problems. Her father, Abdur Razzak makes £30 a day ferrying passengers on a rented motorcycle, not enough to fund an expensive treatment so he took out a bank loan and took Bithi to the capital, Dakar.
There, he had her admitted her to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujb Medical College.

He said:

'I have already spent a lot of money on Bithi's treatment even though that has not paid off well. But my daughter's condition has shattered me. I am heartbroken to see her in pain and live a life of recluse.

'I want to give her a normal life and I am determined to get help from specialists. I borrowed £100 from bank and brought her straight to the hospital. I am hoping they will give the best treatment to Bithi.'

Doctors are now looking for possible treatments for her.

Dr Farid Uddin, Head of the Department of Hormones at the hospital said:

'This looks like a severe case of abnormal hormones.While we think some of the problems will go away with medicine, we are yet to ascertain her medical history and causes and start the treatment.' Hopefully, Bithi gets the help she needs and carries on with her bright academic career.