Turtle boy Didier Montalvo's life changed after surgery - That gives other sufferers hope

Boarding a plane for the first time in his life was a big event for Didier Montalvo.

The eight-year-old travelled from his home town in Colombia to the UK to meet other children struck down by the rare condition he faced.

Didier was labelled 'Turtle boy' after developing a shell-like growth on his back.

But three years ago the youngster underwent a life-changing operation to remove the huge mole, which weight around 20 per cent of his body weight.

Didier was diagnosed with the rare illness Congenital Melanocytic Nevus (CMN) in 2011.

Appearing on ITV's This Morning, his mother Luz said: 'He felt very bad before the surgery, it impeded him from doing a lot of the activities he enjoyed doing.

'When he heard people calling him "Turtle boy" he felt very sad and he would ask "Why do I have this?" It was a very difficult question to answer.

'We always had hope that something would be done.'

But thanks to leading UK plastic surgeon Neil Bulstrode, who operated on him free after hearing of his plight, Didier can now grow up as any other child.

Mr Bulstrode said: 'One of the main focuses for us was to try and get Didier to feel like he could reintegrate with society. 

'But also to relieve the huge weight that he had. It was around 20 per cent of his body weight.

'It was like us carrying around a sack of potatoes and was hugely impinging on his lifestyle.'

Mr Bulstrode flew to the Colombian capital Bogot� to help a team of surgeons remove Didier�s birthmark, which had grown so big that it was feared it could become malignant.

The doctors then had to carry out a complicated series of skin grafts over several stages.

Mr Bulstrode told the Evening Standard: 'Didier�s was the worst case I had ever seen. Effectively three quarters of the circumference of his body was affected.'

During his stay in the UK Didier met fellow CMN sufferer Jodi Whitehouse, who set up a charity called Caring Matter Now to support children in the UK with the condition in 1997.

She told This Morning: 'We support around 400 families in the UK and internationally, and we offer support days, support pack fro parents and for teachers and staff at schools, it's a real network and children are now growing up knowing they are not alone, like Didier thought he was.

'Coming to the UK he has met children for the first time who also have the condition.'

Didier and his mother have been staying with a South American family living in London whose four-year-old son also has the condition.

Jodi said: 'They are like best friends now, playing football together in the garden and having lots of fun. A real friendship and bond has been built.'

Source : SkyNews, DailyMail , ITV

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