Meet Girl Whose Body is Gradually Turning to Stone

 Meet a teenage girl whose body is gradually turning into stone in Sichuan Province, China.

Ni Min is suffering from a rare condition that turns her muscles to solid bone - fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). The genetic mutation is also known as Stone Man Syndrome and, unfortunately, there is still no cure for it. Although there are less than six hundred cases of it across the globe, those suffering from it eventually die.

[caption id="attachment_3760" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Ni Min began showing Stone Man syndrome symptoms at the age of eight.[/caption]

The 14-year-old girl began showing symptoms at the age of eight, after several examinations tests showed she was suffering from the genetic mutation. Despite the depressing prognosis doctors and Ni’s family hope to delay the symptoms with medication, in a bid to prolong her life and slow down the effect of the rare disease.

[caption id="attachment_3761" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Unfortunately, patients usually die in their 40s when they can no longer breathe.[/caption]

Dr Zhang Keqin, who is leading Ni’s treatment, said: “At present her condition is not very serious and we have prescribed medicine for her. We will see how that goes over the next 6 months. Patients usually die in their 40s when they can no longer breathe because of the pressure on their lungs.”

[caption id="attachment_3762" align="aligncenter" width="392"] The extra bone progressively restricts movement, forming a second skeleton that imprisons the body in bone.[/caption]

The disease causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Over time, this extra bone restricts movement, forming a second skeleton that imprisons the body in bone. It results in a gruesome death when the cartilage holding the ribs together also solidifies, making it impossible to breathe and eventually the patient suffocates or suffers massive cardiac arrest.

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17 South Africans Missing At Synagogue Church

No fewer than 17 South Africans are still unaccounted for at the scene of the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, in Ikotun area of Lagos State, western Nigeria, South African government said.

Disclosing this detail to AFP on Thursday, 18 September, 2014, was South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, adding that the Synagogue church had set up a hotline in Johannesburg for concerned relatives.

READ ALSO: Doctors Can’t Find Parents Of Hospitalized Child

This is coming as emergency workers informed that rescue operations at the scene of the collapsed building were concluded on Thursday, 18 September, 2014.

[caption id="attachment_2618" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Rescue workers at the collapsed building at the Synagogue church in Ikotun, Lagos.[/caption]

Authorities at the SCOAN have remained silent on the identities and number of persons who lodged in the collapsed building prior to the tragic incident, but insisted that the attack was targeted at its Senior Pastor, Prophet Temitope Joshua.

According to the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, the number of casualties in the five-storey building which collapsed on Friday, 12 September, 2014, is 80, while the survivors are 131.

Authorities at SCOAN have maintained that the building collapsed shortly after a plane hovered round the building several times

Reports emerged on Thursday that some of the survivors of the incident have been discharged from hospitals, while DNA tests were expected to be conducted on some of the decomposed bodies evacuated from debris of the collapsed building in other to ascertain the identities of the corpses.

READ ALSO: Video Of The Moment SCOAN Building Collapsed

It was also gathered that the remains of foreign victims would be flown to their respective countries as soon as all arrangements pertaining to this are completed. Among affected countries is South Africa.

It is believed that at least five South African church tour groups were visiting the church at the time of the collapse.

South Africa’s International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has said 20 South Africans are currently being treated in Nigerian hospitals after the collapse.

The building which collapsed served as a guesthouse on Mr Joshua’s campus.

 

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Synagogue Church Building Collapse: 45 Year Old Woman Walks out of Rubble Alive Death Toll At Synagogue Church Hits 59

Reports just coming in inform that the number of dead bodies so far recovered from the debris of the collapsed six-storey building at Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, in Ikotun area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria have hit 57.

According to a report published by P.M.NEWS on Tuesday, 16 September, 2014, rescue workers recovered eight dead bodies on Monday night while two more bodies were pulled out of the debris Tuesday morning, the fourth day since the collapse happened.

It was also gathered that a 45-year old woman was rescued alive from the site of the building that collapsed last Friday, 12 September, 2014.

According to reports, the woman was said to have walked out of the collapsed building Tuesday morning hale and hearty, after spending three days under the rubble.

Meanwhile, rescue teams at the scene of the building collapse include men of  the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Rapid Response Squad and Lagos State Fire Service.

SEE ALSO: Video Of Synagogue Church Building Collapse

While speaking with newsmen Tuesday morning, spokesperson of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said: “The total number of death so far has risen to 57 while those rescued alive are now 131 as the rescue operation continues.

“A woman of about 45 years old walked out of the debris on her own around 2.00am today (Tuesday) and 10 more bodies  have been recovered.”

He added that more dead bodies were likely to be recovered, saying: “We are deploying the police sniffer dogs to assist in locating trapped victims as we are getting close to the area suspected to have more people trapped. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police has ordered the  release of the dogs.”

Farinloye stated that the dogs would assist in the search-and-rescue and also in early conclusion of their operations.

A visit to the scene where the building collapse scene on Tuesday morning revealed rescue teams were busy breaking the rubble to bring out the corpses of the victims still trapped there.

It would be recalled that officials of the Lagos State Government have said the collapsed building was not approved.

Also on Sunday, NEMA officials stated that authorities at the Synagogue Church are not allowing to do their job.

According to a statement released by the emergency agency, some church members of the Synagogue attacked some of their workers which resulted into many of  the first responders to run away for their own safety.

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