Two Faced Baby Born, Called Goddess

NBC news has an interesting article today about a little girl born in India with two complete faces joined together with one set of ears, on one little girl body. The baby's name is pretty: Lali, but her condition is sparking controversial discussions around the internet. Little Lali's condition is called craniofacial duplication, and according to the NBC article this condition is known to normally come with medical complications.

In India, they have a goddess that they worship who is named Durga; a beautiful woman with everything wonderful about a woman, who is an honored warrior like a man according to a Wikipedia article. Little Lali and Durga share some similar facial traits, so the parents and many in India are convinced that Lali is a reincarnation of this special Goddess.

Lali's parents are claiming truthfully that Lali is acting fine, so that there is no reason yet to find out if there is anything wrong that they need to fix. Their doctors have given Lali an initial clean-bill of health, and that is good enough for her parents. The American version is that craniofacial duplication normally results in still birth, and that other babies who have lived normally have some abnormalities inside as well as outside of the body according to a different Wikipedia article.

Little Lali is receiving up to 100 visitors a day who would like to touch her feet as a form of respect to her status as a goddess, and the government has been contacted for funds to build a temple in town to her honor, and for her future medical care. For those believing that Lali is a goddess, sending money for her immediate requirements of a temple and medical care should not be a problem. Nobody wants to make a goddess mad.

In my opinion, perhaps little Lali is one of the luckiest little girls on earth to have so many people loving her instantly despite what our American culture would can a disfiguring handicap. While reading the NBC story, I was smiling for this little goddess and her parents. I do not share the faith, but wouldn't it be simply wonderful to be chosen by your God to have a very special little religious visitor in your home like that.

After trying to understand what the condition is through reading, I'm going to have to disagree with those who would like to have little Lali dissected and repaired right now. India comes complete with doctors who know how to log onto the internet for help if they believe that they need outside people examining their baby. As long as the baby is acting fine in breathing and drinking milk on both sides, perhaps there is something good to be said about letting her get a little older before anybody pokes and prods at her.

And, who are any of us to say that she isn't really a goddess. Most myths have original roots in reality someplace. Perhaps Durga had some form of craniofacial duplication too.