New Delhi: When Manju Dharra was small she abstained from eating anything her mother gave her and cried and vomited. Initially, her mother thought she was fussy about food, little did she know that her daughter was suffering from a condition called achalasia.
Manju, now 25, is suffering from a disorder called achalasia, due to which she has not eaten anything since she was born and lives on liquid diet.
She only drinks milk, water, tea; buttermilk and can not eat solid food.
Achalasia is a condition in which her gullet does not allow food to enter stomach, the valve which is responsible for it does not open.
Manju hails from Sonipat, lives with her parents and seven siblings.
Ramkanwar Dharra is a bricklayer and the economic condition of their family is not sound.
Her family can not afford her surgery by a specialist which can cure this problem.
Manju drinks 4 to 5 litres of milk every day to survive and the family owns a cow for her diet needs.
Her mother, Bhagwati Dharra, came to know about her daughter's condition when she was two years old.
Earlier she used to give her bread and milk which she used to throw away or vomit.
Eventually, her mother took her to a doctor and found out that she was ill.
Now, Manju even fears from looking at solid food.
In achalasia, a ring of muscle called the cardiac sphincter keeps the opening from the gullet to the stomach shut tight to prevent acid reflux.
Normally, this muscle relaxes when you swallow to allow the food to pass into your stomach.
In achalasia, this muscle does not relax properly and the end of the gullet becomes blocked with food.
Surgery is often required to address the problem.
