Treeman the Cure: My Shocking Story

Treeman the Cure: My Shocking Story info

Once in a generation a series comes along that challenges even those who feel they’ve seen everything. Discovery’s film-making always finds and tells these tales. My Shocking Story took your breath away: Humans living quite unimaginable lives.

And of all the stories, Dede’s touched us the most. It was Discovery’s highest rating documentary ever. No wonder. Dede’s body was sprouting root-like growths that were turning him into half-man, half-tree. Vines, roots and branches appeared to grow from him. In his home village, deep in Indonesia, he was feared and ridiculed in equal measure. The only way he could support his teenage children – after his wife left him – was to join a freak show, and parade his extraordinary body to incredulous audiences.

Dede was found to be suffering from a massive immune system deficiency.
So severe, doctors thought at first it might be HIV. But the problem was unique. The ‘tree-like growths’ were warts that ‘did not know’ when to stop growing.
The American doctor, Anthony Gaspari, diagnosed a drug regimen that would reduce the growths, with the most extreme being surgically removed.
Dede hopes to resume normal life. So far, over 4lbs of his growths have been removed or shrunk.
He may never be a fisherman again – but his one hope now is to get married.

Treeman the Cure: My Shocking Story