Santiago Mendoza is only eight months old
but already he weighs 3st 1lbs – the same as
a normal child aged six.
Now he has been taken from his mum by a
charity which says it is "rescuing" the 19.5kg
youngster so he can have life-saving
treatment.
Mother Eunice Fandiño admitted that her own
"ignorance" had made her son pile on weight
because every time he cried she gave him
food or milk to calm him down.
"He was born with an anxiety so if he cried I
just fed him," she said, adding that she was
virtually a prisoner in her home because the
baby was too heavy to take out.
Santiago – officially Colombia's fattest baby –
was flown from his home in Colombia's
north-eastern city of Valledupar to the capital
Bogota on Sunday.
Volunteers from Medellin-based Chubby Hearts
foundation stepped in after Eunice wrote asking
for help with Santiago, who is said to have
suffered medical complications due to his
weight and has needed hospital treatment
several times.
Chubby Hearts director Salvador Palacio
González said the boy would be evaluated by
specialists at Bogota's Colina Clinic. They
would try to bring his weight down then
embark on a series of operations.
"What he will need is a long-term treatment,
education, healthy food, and when he is older
physical activity," surgeon Cesar Ernesto
Guevar told Colombian newspaper El
Espectador.
"Otherwise, in the future, he could suffer from
diabetes, high blood pressure and severe
problems with his joints."
Mum Eunice said she was optimistic about the
help she was getting and has promised to
follow the instructions of her son's doctors.
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