There was a happy ending on Channel 4’s Turtle Boy on Wednesday night.
Thankfully for Didier and his family, British surgeon Neil Bustrode was able to successfully remove the huge mole that covered more than 60% of the 6-year-old's body, giving him a chance of a normal life.
Didier’s rare condition, Congenital Melanocytic Nevus (CMN), causing the giant growth, which resembled a huge shell earning him the nickname ‘turtle boy’. Sadly the condition ostracized his family from their small Colombian village amidst fears that he had been “touched by evil spirits”.
Didier after the operation
SEE ALSO:
Turtle Boy Preview: Channel 4's BodyShock Reveals Colombian Child With Giant Growth Covering 40% Of His Body (PICTURES)
Mr Bulstrode, who is based in Great Ormond Street Hospital, flew to Colombian capital Bogotá to carry out the surgery.
“Didier’s CMN was the worst case I had ever seen due to the size and bulk of the lesion,” he told The Mirror.
“Effectively three quarters of the circumference of his body was affected. Often people have CMN that are much flatter and are therefore much easier to care for and deal with.”
“When I saw the pictures of Didier, one of my first feelings was that if we could remove it, we would significantly improve his quality of life.”
See before and after images below