Mutant 44 years without bathing, without wearing clothes

(Baonghean.vn) - At the age of 11, Mr. Lo Van Yen suddenly developed a 'fear' of bathing and wearing clothes. Since then, for 44 years, he has only wrapped himself in a blanket and stayed in one place.

Mr. Lo Van Yen, (born 1962) in Dinh Tien village, Tam Dinh commune, Tuong Duong district is known as the "odd man" of the area because for many years he has never bathed or worn clothes. Day after day he just lies in one place. People in the area affectionately call him "Mr. Yen".

Mr. Lo Van Yen's residence is a small hut behind his younger brother's house. Mr. Yen was born into a poor family of 7 siblings. As a child, Yen was a diligent and somewhat shy boy, often following his older siblings up the mountain to herd buffalo, pick vegetables, cut grass...

One day at the end of summer when he was 11 years old, Lo Van Yen suddenly felt "uncomfortable". After school, Yen came home and took off all his clothes. He also showed a fear of water and was terrified every time he had to bathe. If anyone touched his body or hair, he would struggle as if he was about to go crazy.

From then on, Yen spent all day locked in a small room. His parents tried to take Yen to see a doctor, then invited one shaman after another to perform a ritual to help Yen, but all efforts were unsuccessful.

Seeing that his son's hair was too long, Yen's father "snooped" around while Yen was sleeping to secretly cut it. From then on, Yen covered herself with a blanket all day long, and whenever she saw strangers, she covered her hair even more tightly.

Mr. Lo Van Yen - The strange man who has not bathed or worn clothes for 44 years, only lying in one place under a blanket. Photo: Ho Phuong.

So for 44 years now, Mr. Yen has not bathed, worn clothes, or cut his hair. But the strange thing is that his cramped hut does not have any "strange" smell. Because he has not moved around, his legs have gradually atrophied and now he cannot walk anymore.

He stayed in bed all day, so his family was afraid he would be bored, so they bought a cassette player for him to listen to. He was the one who knew the most about news, weather forecasts, domestic, provincial, and international news in the village. He even knew very well the political situation in Russia, the US, China...

The strange thing is that he also knows how to repair household electrical appliances, wind motor wires for electric fans, fix water pumps, and cassette players when they break down... The villagers said that no one in the village can do these things, and Mr. Yen has never left home to "learn a trade". So, in addition to the title of "freak", Mr. Yen naturally became the only electrical repairman in the village.

Mr. Yen's small hut is full of tools for him to work on the spot. Photo: Ho Phuong.

Staying at home all day, Mr. Yen is not lazy to work. With his skillful hands, he often weaves baskets and nets for the villagers. Since the Khe Bo hydropower project blocked the river, fishing has become popular in the village, and his work has also become busier.

Villagers bought steel, nets, and materials for him to weave nets and fishing nets. Some even split bamboo and rattan for him to weave. There were many poor people for whom Mr. Yen did not charge.

Mr. Lo Van Khon, Mr. Yen's younger brother, said that in the past, when people were gossiping about his brother, Mr. Khon and his wife secretly followed him many times. But Mr. Yen did not show any unusual signs. The only thing was that he did not bathe and did not... get married.

Although he looks a bit strange, his small hut is never empty of visitors. Some people come to hire him to weave, others come to chat. Mr. Lo Van Khon shared: “Although he is bedridden, he is always diligent in his work. On a daily basis, whatever my wife and I eat, he eats. For more than 10 years, he has not complained. My wife, children and the villagers all love and respect him.”

Shrimp cages made by Mr. Yen. Photo: Ho Phuong.

Mr. Lo Van Thang - Chairman of Tam Dinh Commune People's Committee affirmed: "Mr. Yen's case is a strange case not only in my commune but also in the whole district and province that I have never seen or heard of. Our policies are all concerned about people with special circumstances like him."

Ho Phuong