giving two faced a new meaning..

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080409-baby-video-ap.html

As seen in this picture, Lali, an Indian baby, was born with the rarest malformation in humans known as craniofacial duplication, or diprosopus.  Since I’m so interested in medicine and related topics, this news story really caught my eye. 

The interesting part about this particular case of conjoined twins is that Lali is seen in her village as a God.  Hundreds of people visit her daily to touch her feet out of respect and pay their dues to who they believe is the incarnation of a Hindu goddess.

Unfortunately for Lali, her condition very commonly is associated with other health defects, but her parents refuse a CT scan. 

Through all of my research on the deformity itself and this particular story, I find the social differences between America and this Indian village to be drastic.  Here, if a child was born with this malfunction, close medical attention would be given to the newborn.  There, worship ceremonies are performed and the health issues are pushed aside.

The most heartwrenching part of every video on this story that I have watched is the stoic look on Lali’s face.  Not once did she make a noise or even move a muscle.  She just laid there in the arms of whoever was holding her as if she was not even there.