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A Florida man with a rare genetic mutation that has caused his feet to become enlarged and misshapen is seeking an extreme form of treatment to alleviate the painful condition that he has endured for almost his entire life.
Jeffrey Ortega, 26, has Proteus syndrome, and first showed signs of the rare condition at 9 months old, according to the Huffington Post. The condition causes an overgrowth of bone, tissue and skin, and in Ortega's case, it has primarily disfigured his feet, though his hands, legs and hips are also affected.
According to an interview with Barcroft TV, Ortega’s left foot measures 17 inches in circumference and is 14 inches long. His right foot is 14.5 inches in circumference and 12 inches long.
The only pair of shoes in which Ortega’s feet can comfortably fit in is a pair of size 16 Crocs that he’s been wearing for years.
He cannot walk very far, so he spends most of his days in a wheelchair.
Ortega suffered intense bullying as a child because of his disfigured feet. Ortega’s mother said that when the family moved to an apartment community with a pool, the other residents did not want to swim if her son was in the water. She said she was asked for a letter proving that her son’s condition was not contagious.
After enduring 11 surgeries and finding little relief, Ortega had decided that he wants his left foot to be amputated. He said the surgery gives him the best chance to remove the overgrowth and be fitted with a prosthetic in hopes of walking again.
Doctors are willing to perform the drastic procedure, but only if Ortega funds the surgery himself.
He's set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical expenses. So far, he has raised over $18,000 of his $42,000 goal.
The Huffington Post talked to an expert at the Cleveland Clinic, who said Ortega may want to consider a clinical trial involving a medication that could potentially help regulate body overgrowth caused by genetic mutations.
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