They Call Me 'The Tree Man' | BORN DIFFERENT

34-YEAR-OLD Mohammad Abul Bazadar, from Bangladesh, is known as the ‘tree man’, due to suffering an incredibly rare condition which makes his hands and feet look like bark. He has Epidermodysplasia verruciformis, a skin condition which causes wart-like lesions to cover parts of the body. It's an inherited condition that makes the sufferer highly susceptible to infections caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Mohammad told Truly: “I am known as the ‘tree man’. My disease is very rare and it is hardly seen anywhere.” He continued: “When I was 13 or 14 years old I first saw small warts on my body. As I grew older, it spread rapidly, slowly and gradually it has become part of me.” Mohammad has undergone treatment for his disorder, but the warts always grow back. “I tried traditional medicine but it was no use”, he explained. “My hands and feet have turned into roots.” Mohammad has faced devastating consequences to his condition, he is unable to work or hold his children. “My life has become abnormal because of this situation”, he said. Despite this, he remains hopeful: “I believe there must be a treatment for this disease.”