Boy, 4, Has 25 Fingers And Toes

Boy, 4, Has 25 Fingers And Toes

Barcroft

Little Arpan Saxena has 25 fingers and toes.

The four-year-old from Bhopal, India, suffers from two rare genetic disorders called Polydactyl, a disorder that gives rise to excess digits being formed, and Syndactyly, which leads to fingers and toes being fused together.

Arpan, who has 13 fingers and 12 toes, enjoys celebrity status in Bhopal, with his picture plastered on city walls.

"I love it when people come to see me and take photos," he said. "But the only thing I don't like is that I can't walk a lot because my feet never fit in any shoes."

His father, Anil Saxena, 35, a rickshaw puller, said the toddler was born with 26 digits, but following an accident aged two, Arpan lost a finger:

"When he was born, we were surprised to see that he had 26 fingers and toes. I had never, ever heard of anyone being born with so many fingers. He was out playing when he injured one of his fingers and it just sort of came off."

Arpan's mother, Tanu, 30, said they won't be getting Arpan an operation, even though a lot of people have offered help.

"It's every parents dream to be known for their children," she said. "Arpan is famous all over Bhopal and we like it that way, and I am apprehensive about how an operation might affect him at this age."

However, Arpan does not hold a world record for most number of fingers and toes.

The current world record is held by fellow Indian, Akshat Saxena - who was born with 34 fingers and toes.

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