The little boy who couldn't stop growing

Li Hang, 11, has been getting fatter since he was diagnosed with the Prader-Willi Syndrome at the age of 3.

In early March, his weight reached 167 kilograms. Despite losing some weight recently, he is still around 143 kg. Li, who is 1.5 meters tall, is determined to lose more weight.

He weighed 2.7 kg at birth and his mother once thought he was malnourished. But from the age of 3 his appetite suddenly surged and he reached 43 kg by the time he was 4.

With the passage of time, his weight continued to rise, and his mental abilities became impaired. He is emotionally unstable and is poor with numbers.

Prader-Willi Syndrome is a chromosome No 15 abnormality. About 70 percent of cases are due to a child's father lacking the chromosome. The incidence of cases is about 1 per 15,000 population.

The clinical symptoms are complex. In the neonatal period, the baby usually has poor suckling ability. When the child is around 2, an insatiable appetite develops.

Although this disease cannot be cured, early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve the patient's quality of life.

In March, after failing to benefit from various weight-loss regimes, Li had a partial gastrectomy, where part of his stomach was removed.

Obesity has had a severe effect on his life. He now has high blood pressure, a fatty liver, hyperuricemia - an abnormally high level of uric acid in the blood - and eight other diseases.

To find relief, Li has traditional resorted to Chinese medicine, in the form of fire treatment, cupping and acupuncture. He has managed to lose 16 kg in two months.

Nov 20 - Li Hang playing with a water gun at a park. The happiest time for him is when he is away from the hospital. Photos by Zhao Tianhua / For China Daily

Oct 16 - A nurse had to try several times to find a blood vessel due to Li's obesity.

Nov 17- Li is reluctant to bid farewell to his playmates.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/16/2016 page4)