The mother was deeply moved when she first saw her baby born with an anomaly with two faces.
The boy's congenital deformity makes him appear to have two features, so wherever he goes, he is subjected to curious stares and ridicule.
The child from Hubei, China, who was born with an uncommon congenital deformity on his face, had a large space between his mouth and ear. After learning that he was born into a difficult family, his grotesque appearance elicited even more compassion.
Kang Kang, as he is dubbed, has a peculiar facial deformity, prompting some spiteful individuals to refer to him as the "masked child." To outsiders, Kang Kang appears to have two features due to his jaw's unusual structure.
Kang Kang's mother, Yi Lian Xi, said that when she first saw her son born in 2009, it was a terrible moment, and she almost collapsed: "I saw my child cry, and I cried with him. I felt as though my heart was shattering into fragments. Why did I have to experience this?" The young mother described to reporters how she felt when she gave birth to her child.
She also observed the horrified, frantic, and evasive expressions of family members. However, Kang Kang's mother pleaded, "How could we abandon the disabled infant?" The family ultimately had no option but to take the infant in and nurture him.
Kang Kang developed normally and was nimble despite his physical defects, but he was unable to communicate or chew like other children. Consequently, he was unable to integrate well with peers of the same age. Due to his peculiar disability, Kang Kang was always required to don a mask so as not to frighten others. His mother was saddened whenever others expressed curiosity and commented on his appearance.
Yi Lian Xi stated that she received routine prenatal care throughout her entire pregnancy, and that none of the prenatal ultrasounds revealed any facial abnormalities in her child.
Due to the facial deformity, Kang Kang received a great deal of criticism from his peers and neighbors. When the public became aware of the child's plight, however, they all felt pity for him and donated funds to assist him receive surgery and treatment. Kang Kang's father and mother are both manufacturing employees at the local electronic factory, and the family's financial situation is not particularly comfortable.
Despite their challenging circumstances, Kang Kang's parents strive to remain by his side and provide for him. When they brought their son to the hospital for a checkup in the hopes of obtaining surgery for him, the mother learned that the surgery and treatment would cost between 300,000 and 400,000 Chinese yuan (approximately 1-1.4 billion Vietnamese dong). This expense was beyond the family's means, so the mother was overcome with sorrow. Kang Kang was 20 days old at the time, and the doctor advised them to wait at least six months before undergoing surgery.
The pediatrician who examined Kang Kang, Doctor and Professor Wang Duquan, explained to reporters that Kang Kang's deformity is a condition known as half-face cleft, which differs from the typical symptoms of cleft lip and palate. Not only were the soft tissues on Kang Kang's face severely injured and separated into two distinct sections, but his mandible, zygoma, maxilla, and upper jaw were also severely damaged, resulting in a large gap. Dr. Wang also mentioned that 4D ultrasound can detect this deformity during pregnancy. In addition, Dr. Wang suspects that the parents' lengthy employment in an electronics factory may have contributed to Kang Kang's peculiar deformity.
Kang Kang underwent his first surgery at Military Hospital 163 thanks to the contributions of benevolent individuals.
According to the physicians, Kang Kang's own facial tissue was used to close the two clefts during surgery. Doctors only revealed that the unfortunate boy's initial surgery was successful, and no additional information has been provided since. Certainly, Kang Kang has undergone additional surgical procedures due to the severity of his facial deformity.
More than ten years after his birth, it appears that most people have forgotten about the "two-faced child," and there has been no news about Kang Kang. Kang Kang's family did not disclose any information about his surgical procedure or post-surgery life, possibly to ensure that their son leads a carefree life, free from pity and scrutiny. This is also the ideal method for the boy to develop normally, just like other children.
This case also serves as a cautionary tale for expectant women. In addition to routine prenatal exams, everything consumed during pregnancy can have a direct effect on the fetus. Therefore, expectant women must exercise extra caution. Do not neglect prenatal checkups, avoid smoking, consuming alcohol, and prolonged exposure to areas with high radiation levels, and do not self-medicate. If there are genetic factors in the family, it is essential to consult a physician for early treatment and prevention in order to protect the expectant child.
