Bizarre Half-Human, Half-Tree Creature Discovered—Subhan Allah! [Images]

According to Saed News, citing Hamshahri, this was the fate of Dede Koswara, an Indonesian man whose hands and feet began growing bark-like tissue resembling tree roots. He became so tree-like that locals nicknamed him the “Tree Man,” and performance groups showcased him as a human curiosity.

Dede lived in a remote village in West Java, Indonesia. At the age of 15, he suffered a severe knee injury, requiring urgent surgery. After recovering, it seemed everything had returned to normal—until a strange new condition began to appear. Slowly, root-like growths emerged from his hands and feet.

At first, Dede didn’t worry much. He believed the problem would resolve itself and that he would regain his health. At that time, the disease had not advanced, and he still looked normal. He married in his late teens and had two children. However, over time, the condition worsened. His hands and feet transformed into tree-like shapes, rendering him unable to walk or use his hands, and he struggled with daily life.

The first emotional blow came when his wife left him, claiming she could not bear to live with his appearance. Dede was left alone to care for his children, who he eventually had to send to relatives while he continued living in his small wooden childhood home.

A Mysterious Disease

Dede’s condition puzzled local doctors for years. Most suspected it was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause warts. In ordinary people, these warts are usually harmless, but Dede’s rare immune system allowed the virus to proliferate uncontrollably. His skin became thick and tree-like, with root-like growths sprouting from his hands, feet, and face, growing approximately five centimeters every year.

Treatment and Surgery

When local doctors could no longer help, Dede was referred to Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, West Indonesia, where he was first admitted in 1996. His treatment involved a multi-stage surgical process: removing thick wart layers from his hands with even power saws, excising smaller warts from his face and legs, and finally skin grafting his hands. Over the years, Dede underwent nine surgeries, removing over 13 kilograms of excess skin. After these procedures, he regained the use of his hands, could eat, bathe, write, use a phone, and return to his family home.

Global Attention

As Dede became famous worldwide, doctors from the U.S. expressed interest in studying and treating him. Professor Anthony Gaspari from the University of Maryland visited Indonesia to examine him. Although Indonesia denied permission for Dede to travel abroad, Dr. Gaspari collected samples for further research in the U.S.

Life as the “Tree Man”

During his illness, Dede faced extreme isolation and poverty. He could not work, fish, or farm, and endured ridicule from locals. To survive, he joined performance shows where people paid to see him as a human oddity. In November 2007, a short video of Dede went viral online, and Discovery Channel later produced the documentary My Shocking Story, further spreading his story to the world.

Despite the hardships, Dede Koswara’s resilience and the incredible story of his disease have made him an unforgettable figure, both as a medical mystery and as a symbol of human endurance.