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Living with werewolf syndrome

It does not get more unusual that three sisters from both parent, are afflicted by one of the strangest condition in the world, affecting just one in a billion.

Savita 23, Monisha, 18, and 16-year-old Savitri Sangli, who live in a small village near Pune, Central India, is believed they inherited the hypertrichosis universalis disorder from their father.

However, in an incredible quirk of fate, three sisters have all been blighted from a rare genetic disorder known as werewolf syndrome, where they are completely covered from their head to toe in very thick hair.

Anita Sambhaji Raut, 40 years old mother, has six daughters in total with only three having werewolf syndrome. The condition was passed on by the girl’s father, who Raut was forced to marry at the age of 12. There was an arranged marriage and she did not lay eyes on him until the wedding day, she had no idea he was suffering from the condition himself.

“ They told me that if I didn't marry him they would kill me off. It was only on the day of my marriage that I discovered what he was, hairy on his face, ears and body, that's when I found out. I was very young, I didn't know what kind of boy he was, scared the hell out of me when he arrived at the altar. He's the groom, I am the bride, I had no idea what all that meant,” she said.

The Medical term Hypertrichosis universalis is an unusual genetic mutation, by which cells that normally slow down hair growth in unusual areas, for example the eyelids and forehead, are left fully functioning.

Unfortunately the girls have abnormal hair growth on their faces, affecting their eyebrows, nose and giving them a beard.

The sisters struggle to keep the condition under control with hair removal cream to keep their condition under control on a short-term basis, hoping that one day they might eventually be able to pay for specialist laser treatment to rid them of their excessive hair.

Despite the devastating effects of the syndrome, the siblings still dream of a day when they might get married.

They must use a special cream every day, otherwise the hair will quickly return. The youngest sister Savitri is still virtually covered in hair.

Anita and her daughters are now desperate to fund laser surgery that will help to finally remove the curse of excess hair and allow the girls to live normal lives.

The cost of a laser surgeryis 350,000 Indian rupees or £4,500 per girl, but the family is not wealthy enough to afford the specialized treatment.

By Portia