Man with rare condition says his huge hands have one unexpected advantage when caring for his daughter
A man living with an extremely rare condition that has caused his hands to grow to more than 10 times their normal size has opened up about how the very thing that makes him stand out has also made him a better dad.
Mark Davidson Jacildo, from the Philippines, who was diagnosed with macrodactyly at birth, appeared in a TLC documentary detailing life with the disorder, which has left his fingers and the bones inside them significantly enlarged and deformed.
While he admits it can make everyday tasks a challenge, he revealed there's an unlikely upside when it comes to looking after his young daughter, Katherine Ray.
Speaking on the show, Mark explained that his oversized hands double up as handy parenting tools.
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"Even though my hands are big, I mean it has its advantages," he said. "If she's napping, I use my hands to serve as like her pillow."
He added that his hands also come in useful when the pair are out and about together, saying: "Part of my hands are soft. Sometimes I also use it as like an umbrella, you know."
What causes macrodactyly?
Mark's condition is known as macrodactyly, a rare disorder that affects the growth of bones, soft tissue, nerves and blood vessels, typically in the hands or feet.
It causes one or more digits to grow abnormally large, and in Mark's case, has left him with just one 'normal' sized finger, on his right hand, which he relies on for grip and to help carry out day-to-day tasks.
"I've had it since I was born and I've learned to adapt using my hands on all of the things that I have to do every day," he said, describing the sensation of living with the condition as similar to 'having a rock in your hands'.
How common is macrodactyly?
The condition affects approximately 1 in 100,000 people, making it extremely rare.
The condition means that one or more fingers or toes undergo excessive growth, which can result in stiffness, limited mobility and pain, according to the National Library of Medicine.
His left hand weighs a huge 7kg, while his right weighs 2kg.
Growing up with such a visible difference wasn't easy, and Mark recalled the lengths he'd go to in order to avoid standing out among his peers, including teaching himself to tie his own shoelaces in third grade rather than ask for help.
"It's kind of embarrassing if you were to ask other kids to do it for you," he explained.
"At night, I actually practiced doing it as fast as I can just so I'd be able to do it when I'm in public."
Mark's father passed away when he was just 10 years old, an experience that's shaped how he approaches fatherhood today.
He said he's determined to be a constant presence in Katherine Ray's life in a way he wasn't able to have with his own dad, and hopes she'll one day look back proudly on how he provided for their family.
"I hope that when Katherine grows up, she'll become proud of her father, of how he takes care of the family," he said. "I hope that she doesn't shy away from the fact that I'm her father."
Despite the challenges that came with growing up with the condition, including public staring and moments that knocked his confidence, Mark said becoming a content creator has changed how people react to him, with strangers now more likely to ask for a photo than to simply stare.
Thomas Bamford