A quirk of nature -truth is stranger than fiction some times.

A two year old girl born with four arms and legs in northern India, is set to undergo extensive surgery in southern India to remove those extra limbs.

The girl, named Lakshmi allegedly after the Hindu God of wealth, is joined to a ’parasitic twin’, who stopped developing in the womb.

The surviving foetus absorbed parts of the undeveloved foetus. This extremely rare condition is known as isciopagus. Some villagers in the northern state of Bihar revere her as a goddess.

A team of 30 doctors will be involved in the extensive surgery in Banglalore. The complications are myriad: two spines have merged; she has four kidneys; entangled nerves; two stomach cavities and two chest cavaties. She cannot stand or walk.

Update: It appears the little girl's operations have been successful - just have to wait and see how she recovers. It would have been a real ordeal for her.

The Writers LoungeKiwi Riverman