A man with a strange condition who hasn't bathed or worn clothes in 44 years.

(Baonghean.vn) - At the age of 11, Mr. Lo Van Yen suddenly developed a fear of bathing and dressing. For the past 44 years, he has only wrapped himself in a single blanket and remained still in one place.

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

Mr. Lo Van Yen's dwelling is a small shack behind his younger brother's house. Mr. Yen was born into a poor family with seven siblings. As a child, Yen was diligent but somewhat shy, often following his older siblings up the mountain to herd buffalo, gather vegetables, and cut grass...

One late summer day when he was 11 years old, Lo Van Yen suddenly felt unwell. He went home from school and stripped off all his clothes. He also seemed afraid of water and terrified every time he had to bathe. Anyone who touched him, whether on his body or hair, would cause him to struggle and thrash about as if he were going mad.

From then on, Yen spent all day confined to her cramped room. Her parents tried to take her to see a doctor, and invited one shaman after another to perform rituals to help her, but all their efforts were in vain.

Seeing that his daughter's hair was too long, Yen's father secretly cut it while she was asleep. From then on, Yen covered herself with a blanket all day, and whenever she saw strangers, she would cover her head and hair even more carefully.

Mr. Lo Van Yen - The eccentric man who hasn't bathed or worn clothes for 44 years, just lying in one place covered with a blanket. Photo: Ho Phuong.

So far, for 44 years, Mr. Yen has not bathed, dressed, or cut his hair. But strangely, his cramped shack doesn't have any "strange" smell. Because he doesn't move around, his legs have gradually atrophied and he can no longer walk.

He spent all day lying in his bed, so his family, fearing he was bored, bought him a cassette player to listen to. He was the most knowledgeable person in the village about current events, weather forecasts, national, provincial, and international news. He even had a very good understanding of the political situation in Russia, the United States, and China...

Strangely, he also knew how to repair household electrical appliances, rewind motors for electric fans, fix water pumps, and repair broken cassette players... The villagers said that no one else in the village could do these things, and Mr. Yen had never left his house to "learn the trade." So, besides being known as an "extraordinary person," Mr. Yen naturally became the only electrical appliance repairman in the village.

Mr. Yen's small shack is filled with tools for him to work on-site. Photo: Ho Phuong.

Although he stays indoors all day, Mr. Yen is not lazy at all. With his skillful hands, he regularly weaves baskets and nets for the villagers. Since the Khe Bo hydroelectric dam project blocked the river, fishing has become popular in the village, and his work has become even busier.

People in the village would buy steel, nets, and other materials and ask him to weave nets and fishing traps for them. Some would even split bamboo and hire him to weave fish traps. For many poor people, Mr. Yen didn't charge him any labor fees.

Mr. Lo Van Khon, Mr. Yen's younger brother, said that he and his wife had secretly followed his brother many times because they had heard many rumors about him. But Mr. Yen showed no unusual behavior. The only thing was that he didn't bathe and... didn't get married.

Although he looks a little unusual, his small hut is never without visitors. Some come to hire him for weaving, while others come to chat and share stories. Mr. Lo Van Khon shared: "Even though he's bedridden, he's always diligent in his work. He eats whatever my wife and I eat each day, and for over 10 years, he hasn't complained at all. My wife, children, and the villagers all love and respect him."

These shrimp traps were made by Mr. Yen. Photo: Ho Phuong.

Mr. Lo Van Thang, Chairman of the Tam Dinh Commune People's Committee, affirmed: "Mr. Yen's case is unusual, not only in my commune but also in the entire district and province; I have never seen or heard of anything like it. Our policies and regulations always prioritize people with special circumstances like him."

Ho Phuong