Treeman

Dede Koswara is the man whose story has been shared with millions. I recently came across some articles about this man, and decided to research more about this mans tragic story. As shown in the picture, Dede is suffering from a severe case of abnormal warts that grow all through out his body. He developed this because he is a victim of the HPV and immune to deficiency. With this odd characteristic he carries, he become known as the famous “Tree Man”
He first got the name because his growths resembled much of what tree bark looks like. What started out as a small wart on his knee, when he was just a teenager, turned into a life changing obstacle for him to over come. The warts started as a reaction to the human papillomavirus. Almost 20 million Americans have this virus, but Dede’s case is by far the most interesting and unexplainable. If someone were to develop a wart from the virus, it would only be enough that it peered our through the skin. Dede’s case, the warts took over because of his rare immune deficiency. Soon enough, the warts were spread through out his whole body. His hands were fully covered, which prevented him from being able to do every day tasks. Because of that, he had to quit his job and had to leave his home to find a new career.
Hanny of Hanny Enterprise discovered him and took him in to do carnival-like showings around the country. This is when he first got his name “Tree Man”. Luckily, because of being in the show, his fame rose. As his publicity rose, it helped him find his way to get some medical attention. With the help of many doctors, they found that they could possibly help clear up the warts by refurbishing his immune system.
With that said, Dede Koswara has had many surgeries, and been examined a numerous amount of times. It’s said that he will probably never be able to be fully cured, but with his new treatment, he might have the chance to living life in a normal manner.
I hope the best for this man. I couldn't imagine being his place. What really sickens me are the things people probably said about him, just because he was different. It said that when he moved from his village, he had to live on the streets, and people were scared to take him in. It’s a sad story, but I’m glad he’s on the right track to finding happiness again.