A man who was left embarrassed by his "cauliflower feet" has finally received a life-changing solution from experts.
Thirty-year-old Jeff from Florida suffers an extremely rare condition known as Proteus Syndrome. Sometimes called the "Elephant Man disease", it is characterized by an overgrowth of the bones, skin, and other tissue, which made walking more than 10 steps impossible for Jeff.
Watch Jeff and his mother Alica discuss the condition in the video below:Appearing on the new show My Feet Are Killing Me, Jeff said: "My feet are both heavy, especially the left foot. It is very challenging to try to lift it and to try and maneuver it because I end up falling. It's very difficult. Proteus Syndrome is better known as the Elephant Man disease."
Jeff's condition worsened over the past few years, meaning that he was only able to get around with the aid of a wheelchair. A situation made worse by the odor of his feet.
"If I don't take proper care of my feet, I can easily have a lot of smell. The smell is like rotten cheese," he admits.
Desperate for a solution, he visited Dr. Brad Schaeffer’s New Jersey clinic in the hope of finding a solution.
"Jeff’s feet the largest I’ve personally have seen," the doctor said. "The tissue does almost balloon out. It looks like cauliflower. Some of Jeff’s toes look like golf balls."
Jeff suggested amputation as a final solution, but the doctor was against it.
"It wouldn't be something that I would be able to personally do, I have seen that the bones do continue to grow even after you would do an amputation," the doctor says. "Sometimes they can even be sharp, and cut through the skin."
However, the doctor was able to come up with an innovative solution for Jeff and took molds of his feet so that he could create custom sandals that would enable him to walk again.
Six weeks later, Jeff returns to the clinic walking upright.
"I'm, like, blown away," an emotional Jeff said. "It feels like a dream come true, honestly. They feel amazing!"
"I feel like I am walking on clouds, there’s no actual right wears to describe how I feel!"
