The Boy Who Can Count To 34 On His Fingers And Toes

27 Jul 2011: Akshat Saxena from Uttar Pradesh, in Northern India, is just one year old, but is already a world record holder.

As Akshat was their first child, his parents were very excited to welcome him into the world, as any parents are. But his mother Amrita says that when she first saw her new son, she was shocked and surprised. Akshat was born with fourteen fingers on each hand, and 20 toes on each foot, making him the new world record holder for the most fingers and toes.

Amrita didn't believe it when she was told that her baby held a new world record, but after her husband and younger sister researched on the internet, they discovered that Akshat was the new world record holder for the most fingers and toes. Beating the previous record holder, a six year old boy from China, who had fifteen fingers and sixteen toes, but had them amputated last March, during an operation that took six and a half hours.

Akshat's parents also plan to have their son's fingers and toes operated on, so that he has ten fingers, and ten toes. He was also born without thumbs, so doctors will try to create them out of the fingers that they remove.

Akshat was born with a genetic condition called Polydactyly, which causes the formation of extra fingers and toes, this condition can also be inherited.

There have been many disabilities that have gotten people into the Guinness Book of World Records over time. I found some that may be of interest, which were accurate at the time the record was entered into the books.

Oldest living male with Down Syndrome, was Bert Holbrook, who lived in the USA, he was 80 years and 79 days old.

The oldest living female with Down Syndrome was, Joyce Greenman from the UK, who was 82 years and 273 days old.

The world's smallest spy, was a man known as Richebourg from France, he was a secret spy during the French Revolution, from 1789-1799. He was disguised as an infant, carried around by his ‘nurse'. Richebourg measured 58 cm (1 ft 11 inches).

The record for the world's longest wheelchair confinement was given to William Borrelli, an American man who was confined to his wheelchair for 76 years and 173 days.

The world's longest living quadriplegic was 54 years, 3 months and 19 days. This title was given to a man from America, named Walton Dutcher Jr. who had been paralysed in 1956.

The Oldest living dwarf, who is alive today, was born in 1940. This record was given to Paul Godfrey, who still lives in the UK.

There are many more records held by people with disabilities, even a lady from America, who is one of my Facebook followers. Stacey Herald is the world's smallest woman to give birth, she measures just over 2 feet tall. She also shares my disability; brittle bones.

It's great to see the disabled community being recognised in the Guinness Book of Records, but I'm concerned that some of these record holders could be exploited. I can only hope the exposure that they receive is about them embracing their differences, and not more about television producers and the like, trying to showcase a modern day type of ‘freak show', which was quite prevalent in circus's during the 1800's.

To view the original story of Akshat, click here: http or if you'd like to see some of the crazy records that are held in the Guinness Book of World Records, click here: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/search/rdb.aspx?q=Human+Body

Stacey Herald - Worlds Smallest Woman To Give Birth