Tuesday, November 20, 2007
LAKSHMI TATMA
I confess that I am fascinated, perhaps for reasons I'm not entirely proud of, by the case of little Lakshmi Tatma of India. For those who didn't follow the story, Lakshmi was born conjoined to her identical twin, who didn't develop a head; as a result, Lakshmi appeared to have a second torso attached to her own, with four additional limbs.
If you're going to be born with multiple appendages, make sure you're born in a Hindu country. Some people in Lakshmi's region assumed she was an incarnation of the goddess of wealth (for whom she was named). However, her parents obtained surgery for her when A) it became clear that she would have serious health problems down the road, and B) a circus offered to buy her. The 40-hour operation has apparently been a success, but in keeping with the divine parallels of Lakshmi's story, it took place on Diwali, a Hindu festival that pays respect to the goddess Lakshmi.
Part of me wants to gape at the freak in the photos, but part of me is fascinated by the way human beings come together. In any case, I'm glad she's doing well, even if she's no longer a divine incarnation.
And the final parallel: The day Lakshmi was shown to the public following her recuperation from her surgery, the U.S. Senate passed a measure honoring Dewali. Praise be to Rama!
I confess that I am fascinated, perhaps for reasons I'm not entirely proud of, by the case of little Lakshmi Tatma of India. For those who didn't follow the story, Lakshmi was born conjoined to her identical twin, who didn't develop a head; as a result, Lakshmi appeared to have a second torso attached to her own, with four additional limbs.
If you're going to be born with multiple appendages, make sure you're born in a Hindu country. Some people in Lakshmi's region assumed she was an incarnation of the goddess of wealth (for whom she was named). However, her parents obtained surgery for her when A) it became clear that she would have serious health problems down the road, and B) a circus offered to buy her. The 40-hour operation has apparently been a success, but in keeping with the divine parallels of Lakshmi's story, it took place on Diwali, a Hindu festival that pays respect to the goddess Lakshmi.
Part of me wants to gape at the freak in the photos, but part of me is fascinated by the way human beings come together. In any case, I'm glad she's doing well, even if she's no longer a divine incarnation.
And the final parallel: The day Lakshmi was shown to the public following her recuperation from her surgery, the U.S. Senate passed a measure honoring Dewali. Praise be to Rama!
# posted by toner_low @ 10:58 PM 
