Khaberni - In North Sumatra, Indonesia, the story of the Manurung family became the talk of the world after the spread of videos documenting their lives, following the birth of four among six siblings suffering from a rare genetic syndrome that affects facial features and makes them look like 'lizards'.
According to media reports, the family lives in the village of Kedungkang, where initially they faced social stigma and isolation due to their strange appearance, as the local residents believed that the family was cursed by evil spirits. However, medical reality has shown that the cause is genetic and not a myth or curse.
The father of the family revealed in a documentary on the "Truly" channel that the condition is genetic and that he himself is affected by it, saying: "Our facts are clear, our faces have changed shape, but we accept the matter and live our lives."
The four siblings suffered from Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes permanent deformities in the facial structure, such as fragile cheekbones, small jaws, and abnormal gum growth, without affecting intelligence, internal organs, or life expectancy.
Despite this, the family faced significant social challenges, where one of the siblings, named Surya Manurung, spoke about the difficulties in finding employment due to appearance-based rejection, stating that the initial years were filled with discrimination and loss of self-confidence.
With the spread of social media, the family decided to confront these challenges publicly, as their sincere style in sharing their lives and their self-confidence garnered them great fame, with their YouTube and TikTok followers numbering in the millions.
Their platforms transformed into a source of income and at the same time a platform to raise awareness about rare genetic conditions and encourage self-acceptance.
