Boy With 12 Fingers (and 13 Toes)

A friend of mine in high school was also born polydactylic, but had his extra fingers removed at a yound age. (He still had the scars to prove it.)

He ended up making a pretty good living as a jazz pianist, although he said the extra fingers would probably have gotten in the way of his piano playing instread of providing an extra benefit.

It's not too rare for humans to be born with extra fingers or toes.
Nowadays, in the industrialized world doctors usually remove the spares during the early childhood of the oversupplied individual.

I have a friend who was born with six fingers per hand, but this was surgically "corrected" while he was a baby. I once mentioned that it might be an advantage, in typing and playing keyboard instruments, to have extra fingers, and he told me I was crazy.
I guess at the very least, you would have to invent new techniques to take advantage of your special endowment, since established methods of typing/playing all presume the player has ten fingers.

Cats are also frequently seen with extra "fingers" and toes (probably more frequently than people so equipped). These polydactylic cats are often claimed to bring good luck to their owners.

Buying gloves would also be a problem, I think. Plus, giving a certain gesture would be difficult, since with an even number of fingers there is no middle one to display.

I met a boy who had an extra elbow on one arm (it might have been one on each arm, but I can't remember now). That was rather strange, and I don't know how easily something like that could be surgically corrected. I don't think that he or his parents had any plans to do anything about it, anyway.

Are you saying his arm bends at two places?
Anyway, I guess this boy needs tailor-made gloves, but it's not very cold in India so that's probably not a problem 😊 It would be interesting to see him in action tho, how he uses his fingers, also do they know which finger is the extra one? :lol:

Yes, his arm had an upper part, an elbow, a middle part, another elbow, and then the lower part.

There were polydactyl musicians in the days of Mozart and Handel, and those composers wrote pieces especially for them to play for piano and violin. Now of course, it's unlikely anyone will hear that music as so few polydactyls are not "corrected" at birth and grow up to play music.

A nice tribute to them was in the extended version of the movie GATTACA where the lead characters attend a concert by a twelve-fingered pianist.

I would think it would be harder to buy shoes...you'd need all that extra toe room.

The question is, do women find this kind of thing attractive? If so, Devender will grow up to be a babe-magnet, and he will spread his genes more successfully than the rest of us, including me.

It's possible therefore that this chap is the future of mankind, the next step in our evolutionary... ladder. The next rung, rather. Ladders have rungs. Etc is the next *rung* *on* our evolutionary ladder.

I am reminded of the bloke in the Japanese animated film "Ghost in the Shell", whose fingers could split open to make more fingers, etc, and who could therefore type faster than a magickist. I am also reminded of... of Shergar, the racehorse, but that's a separate issue.

Have you seen this yet??

http://www.e-cuerpos.com

It is also on J-Walk - you can order a breast or 2, or even a whole dead body.!!

eWWW.......

I just tried ordering an eyeball from ecuerpos - the ecommerce functions dont work??

This is inherently racist. The webmaster shall be hearing from my solicitors.

Much as I would welcome the spread of fellow human mutants, Ashley Pomeroy, even if this was to become the new hot thing for women, the genetic anomaly that causes this is recessive like blue eyes - that is, both parents need to have the gene before any of the offspring show the feature; So unless there is a dating service for polydactyls, it is not going to take off through the population.

Mind you, a dating service for recessive mutations is an interesting thought . . . A bit eugenic, but if they are advantageous . . . 😊

there was a kid in my fourth grade class who was born with an extra finger on each hand ... he had them removed when he was a baby, but his mom brought them in one day because he wanted to prove to everybody that he wasn't lying. they looked like abnormally large peanuts in a jar ... it's been 10 years and i still can't eat peanuts. incidentally, his little plan to prove he wasn't a liar didn't work ... instead, everybody started making fun of him for being a 'freak'. gotta love kids, huh?

okay, to clarify ... his plan to prove he wasn't a liar DID work, but it just created a new problem for him. it's too early to think straight. 😛

Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII was born with six fingers. It was one of the charges against her when she was tried

i wish i was polydactyl hehe

I was born with 12 fingers and 12 toes. It's interesting that polydactylic is so common. I asked my mom why she had them removed and she said the extra toes made it to difficult for me to walk and she also wanted to save me from childhood torment from my peers. Polydactylic can also be hereditary. My mom and uncle (her brother) were both born with this Polydactylic disorder. I did alittle research and found that polydactylic was a indian trait that symbolized " the chosen one " or someone special. It also stated that some Indian tribes used this trait to identify themselves.

I was also born with 12 fingers, and 12 toes. I too found that it was interesting, and when asking my mother about it she said that she wanted to spare me from the humiliation from my peers. Now that I am more open about the situation, more people are telling me that they wish I should have kept them. I believe that the right thing was done. I was also under the impression that this trait was hereditary, and if I had kids, they would have it too. Has anyone done any research to find any truth to this hypothesis. I just had a son that was born, and I am questioning weather or not it is mine based on a few different reasons including the fact that he doesn't have any extra fingers or toes.

:):) You definitly shouldn't use that as a determinig factor of paternity because i have 2 other siblings and i was the only one that was born polydactylic. Therefor your 1st born may not have it but there's a greater chance you next child would ! But i would perfer not to have any kids with this trait.

I know that it shouldn't be a deciding factor. I guess in some cases you could say it to be true. I just got paternity results back from the DNA Diagnostics Lab and it turns out that the baby is not mine. So I guess in this instance I was right!

Hi, I am on this sight because my sister had her baby, which was a boy. My nephew has 8 toes on one foot and 5 toes on the other. I would like to know if someone could explain to me what is this. I know that my nephew will not be able to wear shoes. His toes are fully formed their is no deformity. Can someone help me and my sister. Oh and by the way my nephew is only 2 days old.

Sheniqua, while I would support your right to make that decision for yourself, it makes me sad that we judge people who are different so harshly and treat them so badly that they would choose to steal uniqueness from the world in this way.

I mean, this is not a deleterious mutation like Huntingdon's is; And those with this gift who also possess musical ability have been lionised before and hopefully ( As in the movie GATTACCA ) always will be - Mozart and Chopin wrote violin and piano pieces especially for polydactylic musicians, and at present these beatiful pieces cannot even be heard.

Denise,

I'm not sure what you wanna know about your newphews condition. I know it's called polydactylic. I don't know much about it but it is hereditary. If you have questions about me and my moms experience with this abnormality i'll be happy to answer them. Just email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) when ever you have questions!

Hi, I just found this site. I was born with 12 fingers and 12 toes. My mother was born with 12 fingers and her father had 12 toes. My daughter, thankfully was not born with any extra digits. I was just wondering if anyone's scars were sensitive to the weather or being bumped. Mine tend to ache when it's too cold or I get shooting pains along the sides of my hands or feet if there bumped. Just wondering if anyone else had these problems.

My daughter is two months old and she was born with one extra toe and a skin tag (the skin tag looks as if she was going to have another toe, one with out bones). I felt the same way as the mother from oregon, I thought the doctor was making a joke and that my family was going along with it.
The truth is that on one foot she has the extra toe and on the other foot she has the skin tag. I was worried at first, because I didn't want anyone to think less of her but now I know that it doesn't take away from her beauty, it adds to it. And I want to thank people that share their stories, so that moms like me can see how common it is.
Until now I didn't know where it came from, but my family has Cherokee descendants, and one article I read here mentioned it was an Indian trait.

my brother has 6 toes on one foot, he has a limp. do you experience this problem ??

I recieved a couple of emails and I just wanted to respond to them. I was born with 12 fingers and toes, but they were removed when I was a couple months old. I don't have any problems walking or using my hands, but the scars are very sensitive. A light bump will send pain along the side of my foot or hand. I do have a few problems buying shoes. I still have a joint in the sides of my feet so I need to find shoes that are wide. I run, but have never had any problems. When I was in high school in my science class my teacher was talking about genetic traits passed from one generation to the next. A classmate that knew my family and about my extra digits mentioned it. Suddenly everyone was going on about inbreeding and asking if my parents were siblings. That is the only time in my life that I have ever regretted having extra digits. Since then I have accepted what I have and been proud of it.

That is one reason I wanted my daughter to look normal, so that others wouldn't make fun of her. She is very beautiful and I thought that this abnormality would make other people be mean and ugly to her. I sometimes look down at her feet and miss her two extra digits. But I know her life will be better now.

Hi Folks
I was born in 1943 with six toes on each foot and an extra finger on my left hand. The finger was removed when I was a few days old. I still have the toes and have had a lot of fun with them. They are normal looking and most people don't notice them when I am barefoot. Just
have wide feet. Two of my children inherited the gene from me. My son had 12 fingers and 12 toes. my youngest daughter had 12 toes and a tab(mole like) on her left hand. My son has twins the little boy was also born with the full set 12 AND 12. The little girl does not have it. My daughter
has two children that inherited the gene with full sets and two that did not. My grandmother was Chickasaw and the genetists seem to think that is probably the source. The toes are a lot of fun at a party if someone doesn't know and wants another drink..... I just suggest they count my toes to make sure they are not impaired. It's suprising how many folks think they have had enough and never mention the extra toes. There are so many really bad birth defects that an extra toe or finger or two is really not a big deal.

Anthoney,
Just because a child did not inheirit this particular trait from you does not mean that it is not your child.Don't jump the gun here! I have a condition called Alpha 1. My children are not Alphas as I and my parents are. They are known as Carriers.
This child could be a carrier of polydactilic traits. This means it is possible for it to skip an offspring, but show up later in their offspring.May I also suggest that if you are that concerned about this precious child being yours, that you take a paternity test? Do this post haste as your attitude could negatively affect the relationship of you and the child's mother, not to mention the damage you could do to the innocent child's psyche.

Hi there, My daughter was born with 6 toes on each foot. It is the little toe and each one has a bone but also different in looks. I work at an elementary school and have seen 2 girls that had-have 6 fingers.

hey dues this kid is a unlucky kid he kind of cool tho write back soon dudes tell me which 1 is his extra finger and toe

just leave this kid aloe hes just 1 in a millon he should ne left in peace

i had a friend who made fun of someone who was polydactylic. Then a few weeks later he had a nephew that was born polydactylic, ironic really. He had to change his point of view and his bad opions about this disease. Is polydactyl something that can be passed down from parent to child but it is not shown.

Hello I am one of four children and out of us four one of my little sisters we born with 12 fingers and 12 toes they were removered when she was unger. We did not know why she got them she is the frist in are family that we know of untill now My neice was born with one extra toe on her right foot and they decided not to remove it becouas it is part of who she is. but like i said so far they are the only two in are family that we know of.

very coooooooooooooooooooooooll!!!!!!!! :lol:

I was born with 8 extra toes on one foot two index toes and my big toe was a double toe. I also was born with 7 extra bones on the top of my foot not in my toes. All of it is removed now except one extra bone that they didn't see in the x-ray. Besides there is already a new baby boy that was born a month ago with 12 finger and 14 toes. I where special foot braces now.

well i have 11 fingers in total. i have 6 on one hand and 2 on the other. but when i was very little they cut it off. so now its like a nub on my pinky. over the years i have gotten use to it. but when i was of the age from 5-8. i thought i was wierd . but now that im 12, i have realized that im special and im happy to be different because no one is really the same, so i want to be a leader not a follower. i would rather be different than the same. i really dont care what anyone says about my extra finger because im VERY HAPPY TO BE ME. I LIKE ME THE WAY I AM. AND IF YOU DONT LIKE IT, THAN TOO BAD!!!!!!!!!! 😊

I and my son have both with 12 fingers and 12 toes all functional. We landed a spot at last year's Ripley's Believe it or Not and we were also featured in a popular men's magazine(FHM) here in our country, the Philippines and were featured in a local and national television. What I would like to emphasize is that being different is not bad. It's a genetic accident, I hope that all of the exposures we had could help my son to live a normal life. I am encouraging everyone with the same condition not to be ashamed, show your worth . Modesty aside being a polydactyl does not stop me in pursuing my dreams and showing my talents. Great people with normal fingers and toes have done wonders in this world . Think of what the extra digits we have to do wonders in this world.

As far as it being hereditary... it is. My husband had 12 finger and 12 toes at birth. They were removed when he was 6 months old. We have two children, our first didn't have the extra digits/fingers/toes, but our second does.

keep up the good work and that is very brave of you to fit in right away.if i were you i would only think about what others thought and not what i thought about myself.


your friend,

maurisha

I have two sisters and one brother. I am the "baby" of the family. I was born with 12 fingers and 12 toes. I was the first one in the family born with extra fingers or toes. Our oldest daughter was also born with 1 extra toe. But, our other two kids didn't. Is it hereditary? And, is it true about the indian trait?

I was born with one extra toe on my right foot, my 9 yo twin boys both have an extra toe on each foot (and webbing, so are polysyndactyls) but my youngest has totally 'normal' feet. I had my extra toe removed at 17 so I could wear 'normal' shoes, but the twins feet are not wide at all - they now wear 'normal' shoes. SO the width thing is an individual characteristic, but it is definately an inherited genetic condition - my great Aunts both had extra toes and fingers!

i was born with six fingers on both hands and 7toes on one foot these were removed when i was a baby i got called alot of nasty things at school due to they thought i wasnt normal. i still get very embarassed as i have scars on my left hand that i will have for the rest of my life.

Hello I was on here about a year ago one of my sisters was born with 12 and 12 and one of my nices was born with one extra on her right foot she is now one years old she has been walking for six months now she goes all over and it dose not seem to bother her and every one who sees it thinks it is cool and does not juge her witch is great.

My daughter was just born with 11 fingers and 12 toes. Not only was it not genetic.... but I stayed in excelent physical health thru out my pregnancy. The reasoning for it as told to me by the specialists at Children's hospital was that it was due to a flook - some kind of abnormaility in the amnio fluid. So it remains unexplained to a certain degree. Not only was the extra finger non-functional (it already fell off due to lack of blood flow to the extra digit), I am taking her to have the extra toes removed ASAP. Mostly due to the problems it will cause for her when she begins to walk but partially due to the ignorant and down right hateful and hurtful comments that I have heared and read. I refuse to allow anybody to know what happened because the she will never be hurt by somebody's comments. A physical defect does not have any lasting physical effects but the emotional effects of being taunted becuase of it as a small child would be lasting.

My son was born with extra digets. On his right hand he has a partial thumb that is connected by a string of skin but it has a nail, that same hand his thumb is actually a finger because it has joints like a finger on his left hand he has a two thumbs that grew together there are 2 finger nails and the thumb is really wide. On his left foot he has 2 big toes that share a bottom joint and move together. And last but not least his right foot his has a 2nd big toe that grows out of the side of his big toe.

for me it's not an accident it's so cool having 6 fingers and toes it makes you look more different 😊 😊

my daughter is 6 months old and was born with 12 toes and 12 fingers. she will need to have them removed when she is a year old. they have bone but no function. does anyone know if a year old is really a good time or can they do it earlier. i dont want her to be delayed walking or such things? has anyone had it done earlier?