This is the touching first moment that two morbidly obese sisters walked together unaided for the first time after losing some of the massive weight that has hindered their young lives.
Yogita Rameshbhai Nandwana, 5, and Amisha, 3, finally took their first steps without help after specialists put them on a restrictive diet because their parents were so concerned for their health.
Just three months ago, they weighed 5st 5lbs and 7st 8lbs respectively, and were unable to do anything for themselves.
They have managed to each lose six kg after departing from their daily diet of 18 chapatis, 3lbs of rice, two bowls of broth, six packets of crisps, five packs of biscuits, 12 bananas and a litre of milk.
Their brother, Harsh, who weighed 2st 5lbs when he was just 18 months old, has also been on a diet to try and curb his obesity.
Their constantly increasing weight got so concerning to their impoverished father, Rameshbhai Nandwana, 34, who earns just £35 a month, considered selling a kidney to pay for medical help.
He said: ‘If my kids continue to grow at this rapid rate they will have major health issues. We’re terrified they will die.'
But now the three children are finally making progress and the family help it will change their lives in the long term.
The three children's extreme hunger meant their mother Pragna Ben, 30, spendt most of her day making their meals.
Before the diet started, she said: ‘My day starts with making 30 chapatis and 1kg vegetable curry in the morning. After that I am again in the kitchen preparing more food.'
‘Their hunger never stops. They demand food all the time and cry and scream if they’re not fed. I am always in the kitchen cooking for them.’
The couple have one older daughter, Bhavika, six, who weighs an average 2st 7lbs, and do not know why their other three children are so big.
Mr Nandwana said: ‘When Yogita was born she was extremely weak and weighed just 3.3lbs. We were worried for her health.
'So we fed her a lot during the first year of her life to build her strength but by her first birthday she had bloated to 1st 12lbs.
‘Our third daughter Anisha also gained weight in similar fashion and by her first birthday she was 2st 5lbs.
‘But we only realised they were suffering from a disorder when our son Harsh was born as he too gained weight quickly during his first year.
'We started looking for medical help and consulted many doctors but they would just refer us to bigger hospitals that I couldn’t afford.’
Mr Nandwana earns just Rs 3000 (£35) a month - but usually has sufficient money to buy enough food to fulfil the large appetite of his children.
He said: ‘I am a daily wage labour and I usually get paid Rs 100 a day but there are times when there is no work at all.
‘I work in fields, dig wells, and do whatever menial job I can find to earn money.
'And I’m constantly worried about finding the money to feed my continually hungry children.’
Despite his paltry income, Mr Nandwana spends about Rs 10,000 (£110) a month on food for his children and said he 'cannot leave them starving'
He added: ‘If I don’t have the money, I borrow it from my brothers and friends. But I make sure I feed my children when they need.’
(dailymail.co.uk)
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