The 28-year-old graphic designer Umar Mughal has suffered from genetic bone disorder Osteogenesis Imperfecta since birth. His soft, fragile bones frequently fractured while he was growing up, and poor healthcare in his home country Pakistan resulted in his tiny stature and deformed limbs.
FIND OUT how local doctors were responsible for ruining his body’s natural development.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta is an inherited bone disease that has no cure and is a lifelong condition. There are eight types of the disease, which can range from mild to fatal. Children born with Type II and Type III are typically born with bone fractures, and often die as newborns. The condition is very rare, and there are fewer than 20,000 cases reported a year world-wide.
Umar’s legs cannot support his body weight, and he gets around by scooting across the floor at home. He has to do physical therapy daily for the rest of his life to maintain mobility of his shortened limbs. The cost of his medical care is wildly expensive and recurring. He faces additional difficulties because of his rounded shoulders and scoliosis in his spine.