A Pakistani father-of-three unable to get a job due to his giant hands has been forced to beg on the streets to feed his family.
Ashraf-ud-din, 70, from Karachi, has suffered from the rare condition macrodactyly all of his life – a congenital form of gigantism.
Despite previously being employed and working in a restaurant, he was sacked as customers refused to accept food off him.
Numerous attempts to find himself another job have proved unsuccessful, leaving him desperate for an income to provide for his young children, with the youngest being just 18 months old.
His time spent on the streets, where he begs for nine hours a day and earns Rs 400 (£3), sees him abused by strangers who ridicule him and shout nasty comments.
But his family and close friends have no idea that he has to beg because he is too embarrassed to confess.
Ashraf-ud-din, 70, from Karachi, Pakistan, has suffered with the rare macrodactyly all of his life – a congenital form of gigantism
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WHAT IS MACRODACTYLY?
The condition affecting Ashraf’s hands is a rare form of gigantism known as macrodactyly.
It typically affects the hands.
Often, macrodactyly is present alongside syndactyly – the fusing of fingers or feet.
Most of the time it only affects one hand or foot, and sometimes it only affects one finger or toe.
It is a congenital condition caused by the overgrowth of bone and soft tissue.
Surgery is usually required to correct tissues affected by macrodactyly.
Source: Boston Children’s Hospital
Unemployed – he’s forced to beg
Ashraf said: ‘People always taunt me. They say I’m cursed or I’ve been punished by God. People feel disgusted when they look at me. It’s very humiliating.
‘The size of my hands have stopped me gaining any skill or talent to earn money.
‘And people do not give me a job due to the condition so I have no other choice but to beg. It is not my profession by choice, but by helplessness.
‘I’ve done everything to find a job. I even tried working in a restaurant some years back but people refused to take food off me so I was sacked.
‘Since then no one has recruited me. I’ve been offered work as a labourer but my hands won’t allow me to do such work, they hurt.’
Ashraf refuses surgery as he places his hopes in God
Ashraf does not want surgery as all doctors have suggested amputation, which he has refused.
Instead he believes God will be kind to him one day. He said: ‘I pray before my lord that one day I will be fine.
‘I wish to open a general store which I could run with my wife and children but it feels like just a dream.
‘I wish someone could help me achieve my dream. My children suffer due to my condition and I want them to have better than what I can offer them.’
Despite previously being employed and working in a restaurant, he was sacked as customers refused to accept food off him. He now begs for nine hours a day to earn Rs 400 (£3)
Numerous attempts to find himself another job have proved unsuccessful, leaving him desperate for an income to provide for his children (pictured having tea in a market in Karachi)
His family depend on him begging for their income
Ashraf was born with hands bigger than normal, but as he has become older his condition has worsened.
During his adult life he has desperately tried to find work but no-one has agreed to employ him.
He married his wife, whose name is unknown, five years ago and they have three children together, aged five, three and 18 months.
At one point, Ashraf collapsed on the streets after suffering heat stroke from the sheer amount of walking he does each day.
But he has since learnt his lesson, after his stay in hospital cost him more money than his family were able to afford.
Instead of walking miles in the blistering heat, he chooses to beg between 3pm and 11pm to avoid another instance of heat stroke.
His wife provides the family with a small income through domestic jobs, but it doesn’t bring in enough money, Ashraf said.
But his family and close friends have no idea that he has to beg because he is too embarrassed to confess (pictured having tea in a market in Karachi)
Ashraf does not want surgery as all doctors have suggested amputation, which he has refused. Instead he believes God will be kind to him one day (pictured eating food at a roadside vendor)
Ashraf never wants his children to know how he makes money
He added: ‘I beg so that I can educate my children. I want them to go to school and pursue a career of their choice.
‘But I want to give up begging before my children grow up so that they never come to know.
‘I hope someone can give me a break before my children ever come to know that their father has had to beg.’
Dr Jaswan Shakya, medical director of Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital, in Nepal, deals with many cases of abnormalities.
He said that Ashraf’s hands could only be operated on if the bones have not increased in size as a result of the condition.
Dr Shakya added: ‘It is not a life-threatening situation but it causes a lot of problems in day-to-day life.’