Rudy Santos

Rudy Santos (born 1953, also known by his stage name Octoman) is a man from the Philippines who has a rare condition known as parasitic twin. He is the oldest person ever recorded with this condition.

Remaining from his parasitic sibling are an extra leg and couple of arms, including shoulders and an extra pair of nipples, all of them attached to Santos's pelvis and protruding from his abdomen. Also, an undeveloped head is attached to his sternum, presenting an incipient ear and a patch of hair. Additionally, Santos's own right leg is severely deformed, ending on a stump at the height of the knee, preventing him from walking without the use of crutches.

History

Belonging to an extremely poor family, during the 1970s and 1980s, Santos earned a living by appearing in freak shows, but during the late 1980s he retired himself into seclusion, plunging into ten years of extreme poverty.[1] In 2008 he was examined by Filipino expert in separation of conjoined twins, Vicente Gomez, and a removal surgery was deemed viable,[1] but Santos ultimately rejected it claiming he had grown too attached to his appendages during his life to have them removed at that point.

References
  1. "Octopus Man". Discovery Channel. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
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