Extraordinary People

The documentary strand exploring extraordinary tales of human experience concludes with the story of two children suffering from congenital hypertrichosis, or ‘werewolf syndrome’. The programme investigates how genetic research may hold the key to giving these children normal lives – and potentially helping millions of others. Seven-year-old Nat Sasuphan from Thailand was born with congenital hypertrichosis, an extremely rare and incurable disorder that causes the sufferer to grow excessive hair on the face and body. “The worst thing at school is when the new students make fun of me,” says Nat, whose father is worried that Nat’s condition will cause her to develop an inferiority complex. Removing the hair is tricky: laser treatment had bad side effects, hair removal cream leaves a rash and shaving may harm the skin.