A YOUNG man says he can once again look himself in the mirror after life-changing surgery to remove some of the giant tumours that eclipsed much of his face. As a young child Mithun Chauhan, 22, from Bihar, India, developed lumps on his face, chest, arms and legs, which continued to grow - eventually covering large parts of his face and making it difficult for him to see. Mithun’s mother Bachiya said: "Mithun was born as any other normal baby. But his lumps kept getting bigger and bigger as he grew up.” His appearance also attracted unwelcome attention from villagers, with teachers casting him out of the classroom and people staring at him in the street. Mithun said: "I have been bullied. My teacher didn't allow me to sit in their classroom. He said what use is studying for someone who looks like me? People would stare at me and I’d think to myself 'If only I looked normal'." However, after a successful crowdfunding campaign, Mithun was able to undergo surgery, which significantly reduced the size of his tumours and improved his vision. The surgery has also boosted Mithun’s confidence, and he now regularly joins his friends for a game of cricket - and has plans to start his own business. Mithun said: "My life has improved a lot after surgery, my eyesight has become better, I can see things clearly now, I can look at myself in the mirror. Now people call me by my name - before they would make comments about my face.”
