Hirsute Muhammad Raihan, 13, is an Indonesian teenager with a rare condition which makes him grow hair at an exponential rate. He has refused medical attention as he believe the hair makes him a special child of god.
He is revered as a Hindu god in his area. He has also suffered abuse from some of his peers who liken him to a monkey, but he isn’t bothered by it.
“I am not bothered with such attention – some people laugh at me, others just come to me for a blessing.” Hirsute said
“Sometime people would flock to my house from far-off villages to just have a glimpse of me.
“They think I am a god or have special powers, but this attention is okay because I know I look different.”
His mother, Pardan (45) is happy with her son just the way he is she says: “He is a gift of God and we believe his appearance is the will of Allah.
“I have taught him to never complain about his condition but instead accept it with grace.”
And for Muhammed, who shares a room with his unaffected siblings, he feels blessed to have a distinct appearance and wishes to serve as a mosque cleric in thanks.
“I am blessed by God and this makes me happy.
“I am his favourite child and want to serve him my whole life.
“I don’t want any medical treatment because I’m happy this way.”
You can see photos and video of the phenomenon below