Esther Ntshanlintshali and Busisiwe Zulu developed elephantiasis after being bitten by mosquitoes.
The pair live a stone’s throw from each other — and thought to be the first case of sufferers living so close.
Esther, 69, has been bed bound for 12 years since the condition made her legs swell to four times their normal size.
She said: “I have battled this disease for a long time. I cannot move around inmy house or go outside. It is so difficult and painful.” And mum-of-three Busisiwe, 53, has been suffering the same for 18 years in Alexandra township in South Africa.
Her daughter Mbali, 32, said: “She is trapped in this room and always in pain.”
The disease – made famous by John Hurt’s portrayal of real-life sufferer John Merrick in 1980 film.
Source: Tumfweko
