The parents of a three-year-old boy with a deformed leg are appealing for financial help to enable their son to undergo surgery to correct the deformity.

The child has an enlarged left leg out of proportion to his body which means he can neither stand nor walk.

A Shenzhen doctor said the boy's rare disease was caused by over nutrition on his left leg as a result of overgrown nerves in the leg.

Two years ago, a doctor in Guangzhou suggested amputating the leg but the parents refused. They then turned to a Shanghai doctor, who told them the problem was with the blood vessels and that the disease was incurable. Earlier this year, a hospital in their home city of Shantou operated on the boy without success.

The parents said the boy's left leg was only a little bigger than the right one when he was born. But it began growing out of control a few months later.

The boy's mother said her son started speaking earlier than other children and had a greater understanding of his surroundings.

The boy was quite self-conscious about his leg and often cried when he found someone looking at him, she said.

The Shenzhen doctor said that if nothing was done, the leg would continue growing until boy's growth stopped. He said an operation could help improve the boy's condition.

The operation would cost about 20,000 yuan (US$2,400) but the father makes less than 1,000 yuan (US$120.96) a month while the mother stays home to look after the boy.

The parents are appealing for public help to give their son a better chance in life.

(Shenzhen Daily January 8, 2004)