She is an Indian woman called Manju Dharra, 25, from Sonipat, near New Delhi, has NEVER eaten a meal and could only drink milk, tea and water. She is suffering from achalasia, this illness means that she vomits if she eats solids, because of her gullet which cannot move food down into her stomach and the valve that should allow food to enter her stomach does not open. Manju drinks four to five litres of milk a day and looks healthy despite her limited diet, beside that she can carry out all of her household chores.
Her mother did not become concerned about her, until she was two years old when her mother tried to feed her with rice and bread but she was just crying and sick. At first, her mother thought that she was being just naughty, but after that she realized that her daughter was ill.
Her family took her to many doctors who tried various treatments but no vain on any treatment. They are poor people who could not afford for her to see a specialist or to have a surgery, so they have invested in a cow to provide them the milk which she needs to drink. Her mother, Bhagwati Dharra, said: “She takes only fluids like milk, tea, water and sometimes juice, Mostly she takes milk, tea, buttermilk, water. If she eats solid food, she faces the problem of vomiting suddenly.”
Manju added: “If I eat something then I throw up and I feel very, very bad. Now I feel fear when I look at solid food.”
Her father, Ramkanwar Dharra, a bricklayer, said: “Our economic situation is not such that we could continue her studies, Manju is one of seven children – she has two brothers and five sisters and the rest of the family is healthy and none of them suffer from the same condition.”
To know what is Achalasia mean, read these lines:
Achalasia occurs when the gullet loses its ability to move food along and the valve at the end of the gullet fails to open to allow food to pass into the stomach. Thus it causes the food to become stuck in the gullet meaning it is often brought back up. The only solution to address the problem, is the surgery.
