Mark Jacildo was born with hands unlike anyone else’s.
He has macrodactyly, a rare condition that causes the fingers to grow larger than normal. One of his hands weighs about 6.8 kilos and the other close to 2.3, so together they weigh about 9 kilos. Getting dressed, cooking or tying his shoes—things hardly anyone thinks about—have always been challenges he has had to tackle in his own way.
When he was 7 years old, doctors proposed surgery to reduce their size and weight. Because of the risks, his family decided not to have him undergo surgery. Mark grew up finding his own methods and independence, and today he shares his day-to-day life on social media as @hellboy1of1.
Now he is a dad. And he has had to listen to people who insist he couldn’t care for his daughter or would always depend on his partner. His response needs no speeches: he shows it every day, proving that his hands don’t define the kind of father he is.