I Am The Elephant Man: A Bodyshock Special

In the film Huang movingly describes what it means to be trapped inside a body that he can't control, and which is likely to kill him young; so afraid of being laughed at that he has lived as a virtual recluse, never leaving his remote village.

'When my parents went out I felt very alone. I wanted to play but no one came. When I was young I was afraid of other people,' he explains. 'As I grew older I realized we are all going to die at some point. I faced this fact and have tried to live with myself.'

And the film explores the effect the condition has had on his family, torn between love for Huang and the harsh realities of life. His brother Huang Wei Cai and sister Huang Lan Yan have returned home from their better paid jobs in a trainer factory to help their desperately poor parents to care for Huang.

Huang Wei Cai had to choose between his wife and his own family: 'When I was little other kids used to laugh at my brother and call him elephant man. I didn't stop them – I was ashamed to be his brother,' he says. 'Then when I went away from home I missed him so much. I used to lie awake at night and cry myself to sleep.'

Huang's father, Huang Wan Boa, worries that as he gets older he won't be able to provide for his wife and Huang and explains that despite their affection for him, their son's condition has left them destitute. 'Ever since he was born I've been unhappy,' he says. 'We have to feed him, clothe him and give him the best food.'

For Huang's mother, He Bao Hua, the surgery is a last chance for Huang to have a more normal life. 'I will be so relieved if Huang comes home safe, well, healthy and cured,' she says. 'My poor child – it makes my heart ache so much.'

But the surgery is far from straightforward: it carries terrible risks and Huang can never be fully cured. But with the tumours crushing his throat and attacking his brain, doctors have to act before it is too late. The operation is also a chance for the Chinese to demonstrate how far medicine in the country has advanced.

And Huang has hopes and dreams for his life after surgery: 'I know that I will never have a normal face. But I will be satisfied if I have the chance to live a little longer. I think the outside world is so beautiful, much better than my village. If I could I would travel the world in a car with blacked out windows'

Huang's story >>
I Am The Elephant Man >>
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