Rotaract Malta La Valette held a treasure hunt in the Three Cities in aid of Sven Mifsud, a three-year-old boy who is the only person in Malta suffering from an extremely rare severe condition known as Proteus Syndrome. Lm200 was raised from the event for Sven’s needs and more importantly this event served to raise awareness of his situation.

Proteus Syndrome causes an overgrowth of skin, bones, muscles, fatty tissues, and blood and lymphatic vessels. There are only about 120 other cases worldwide suffering from this rare condition. There may be many more than this, but those individuals correctly diagnosed usually have the most obvious manifestations of Proteus Syndrome, leaving them severely disfigured.

The disorder itself does not directly cause learning impairments although the presence of visible deformity may have its own negative effect on social experiences. While doctors can treat some of the symptoms (by removing excess soft tissue, for example), there is no known cure. Prosthesis and other special tools and clothing can also help improve the quality of life.

Proteus syndrome is a progressive condition, in which children are usually born without any obvious deformities. As they age, tumours as well as skin and bone growths appear. The severity and locations of these growths vary greatly. There is also a risk of premature death due to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism caused by the vessel malformations that are associated with this disorder. Further risks may occur due to the sheer mass of extra tissue. Joseph Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, a Proteus syndrome sufferer, died at age 27 while sleeping. His neck could not support his head’s weight and dislocated.

In June 2008, Sven will undergo two operations, one in his left knee to straighten his leg as much as possible and another to slow the growth of this leg. Meanwhile Sven needs a specialised shoe with a custom brace and a thick sole to compensate for his condition. If it remains located in his leg, a potential cure for Sven may be amputation when turning 21. A prosthesis leg costing about EUR40,000 would then be needed.

Another problem is that the family lives in the third floor of a government block which has no lift. The family needs to move to ground floor and is looking for government assistance in this regard as it is already very difficult for the family to help Sven go up two flights of stairs.

Sven’s mother, Tracy Mifsud, is a 25-year-old single mother who is also taking care of her four siblings who have been orphaned recently. Finances are therefore obviously very limited.

Rotaract is a non profit voluntary Rotary sponsored service club. Rotaractors are young men and women (ages 18 to 30) who organise social and philanthropic activities. Activities organised in the past year include treasure hunts, tree planting, abseiling, team building, scuba diving and various other events. For more information on Rotaract Malta La Valette visit www.rotaract malta.org