The woman who has NEVER eaten a meal
.... Lives off milk, tea and water
A25-year-old Indian woman who is unable to eat solid food has survived on a liquid diet since she was born. Manju Dharra, from Sonipat, near New Delhi, drinks four to five litres of milk a day as well as consuming tea, buttermilk and water.
She has a condition called achalasia, which means she vomits suddenly if she tries to eat anything solid.
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.’
If I eat something then I throw up and I feel very, very bad. Now I feel fear when I look at solid food.
Ms Dharra, who is above average height for an Indian woman, manages to carry out her household chores and appears healthy but she suffers from stomach pains.
Ms Dharra’s mother did not become concerned about her until she was two years old.
At this point, she tried to introduce her to rice and bread but she just cried and was sick.
At first, her mother believed she was just a fussy eater or that she was being naughty but as time went on she came to realise she was ill.
The family took her to various doctors who tried numerous treatments but nothing helped.
They are unable to afford to send her to a specialist or to consider surgery and have invested in a cow to provide her with the milk she needs.
Dr Adarsh Sharma, a paediatrician in Jaipur, explained that the condition could be cured by an operation and says that the family need to consult a specialist.