Indian dad says he’ll sell kidney to help save the lives of his three morbidly obese children

[Jazzy]

An Indian dad has said he will sell a kidney to get treatment for his three morbidly obese children.

Sisters Yogita, five, and Anisha, three, and their 18-month-old brother Harsh, weigh 75 lbs, 105 lbs, and 33 lbs respectively.

They are among the world’s most obese children.

They are so overweight they are unable to walk and the food they eat in a week is enough to feed two families for a month.

Their dad Rameshbhai Nandwana, 34, from Gurjarat, in India, is now so desperate to help them that he says he will sell his kidney to help pay for specialist treatment.

He says: ‘‘If my kids continue to grow at this rapid rate they will have major health issues. We’re terrified they will die.’

They are constantly hungry – the elder children’s daily diet consists of 18 chapatis, 3lbs of rice, two bowls of broth, and 12 bananas. They also polish off six packets of crisps and five packs of biscuits, and drink around a litre of milk, plus a litre of Pepsi or Coca Cola every day.

Mum Pragna Ben, 30, spends most days cooking. She says: ‘Their hunger never stops. They demand food all the time and cry and scream if they’re not fed.’

The couple already have an older child, daughter Bhavika, six, who weighs around 35 lbs, and they don’t know why the other children as so big.

‘We started looking for medical help and consulted many doctors but they would just refer us to bigger hospitals that I couldn’t afford,’ explains Rameshbhai, who works as a laborer, earning just Rs 3000 (£35) a month.

Despite his low earnings, he spends Rs 10,000 (£110) a month on food, borrowing money from his friends and family.

Local doctors believe the children are suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome, but don’t know how to treat it.

The rare genetic condition has symptoms including constant hunger, reduced muscle tone, restricted growth and learning difficulties.

Local pediatrician Dr Akshay Mandavia says: ‘Their condition could be due to endocrinal disease or Prader-Willi syndrome.

‘But we can only ascertain the right treatment after a proper diagnosis at one of our top hospitals,’ he adds.

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What would you do if these were your children?