An Indonesian man nicknamed “Tree Man” because of the warts that covered his body has died after a long battle with the incurable disease that causes the growths.
Dede Koswara, 42, suffered from an extremely rare disease called Lewandowsky-Lutz dysplasia, which caused his body to be covered in huge, scaly warts that resembled tree bark.
This situation even led to Dede’s wife and children leaving him because he could no longer work and provide for the family’s income.
Dede’s battle with the disease was so intense that the warts probably weighed more than 6.9 kilograms.
He underwent surgery to remove the warts in 2008, but they continued to return at an aggressive rate, requiring two surgeries a year to keep them under control.
But it is remarkable that, according to his closest confidants, Dede never gave up hope of a cure.
His nurse said: “Dede wanted to get well despite his illness.”
“He coped with his illness, even though people despised him as if he were cursed.”
“He was bored, lay in a hospital bed and often smoked to pass the time. He wanted to become a carpenter again and start a home business.”
He, too, never gave up hope of finding true love and once said, “What I really want to do first is get healthy and find a job.”
“But who knows, maybe one day I’ll meet a girl and get married.”
According to doctors, Dede ultimately died from a number of health problems, including liver disease and hepatitis.
