Rudy Santos
{{Short description|Filipino man with a parasitic twin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rudy Santos
| birth_name = Leonico Rudy Santos
| birth_date = 1953
| death_date = December {{death year and age|2022|1953}}
| occupation = Freakshow performer
| years_active = 1970-1980
| known_for = Oldest recorded man with a parasitic twin
| children = 1
}}
Leoncio Rudy Santos (1953 - December 2022{{Cite web |last=GMA News TV |date=December 7, 2022 |title=LALAKING MAY APAT NA BRASO AT TATLONG BINTI O SI 'OCTOMAN', PUMANAW NA! |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15RNNpQ5Bc/ |access-date=November 17, 2024 |website=Facebook}}), also known by his stage name Octoman, was a Filipino with a parasitic twin. He was the oldest person ever recorded with this condition. Remaining from his parasitic sibling were an extra leg and couple of arms, including shoulders and an extra pair of nipples, all of them attached to Santos's pelvis and protruding from his abdomen. Also, an undeveloped head is attached to his sternum, presenting an incipient ear and a patch of hair. Additionally, Santos's own right leg is severely deformed, ending on a stump at the height of the knee, preventing him from walking without the use of crutches.
Early life and career
Belonging to an extremely poor family, during the 1970s and 1980s, Santos earned a living by appearing in freak shows. He was sometimes the main attraction in travelling fairs. According to a source, at one point in his life, he gained 20,000 pesos every night.{{Cite web |date=2013-04-20 |title=Finding 'Octoman' – Filipino with Four Arms and Three Legs |url=https://filipiknow.net/rudy-santos-philippines-octoman/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=FilipiKnow |language=en-US}}
Poverty and examination
During the late 1980s, he retired himself into seclusion in Zamboanga City, plunging into ten years of extreme poverty.{{cite web |url=http://www.yourdiscovery.com/web/my-shocking-story/episode-guide/octopus-man/ |title=Octopus Man |accessdate=3 March 2010 |work=Discovery Channel |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213083736/http://www.yourdiscovery.com/web/my-shocking-story/episode-guide/octopus-man/ |archivedate=13 February 2010 }} His wife and daughter joined him. He appeared in the television show Wish Ko Lang!. In the show, he was reunited with his wife, who served as a domestic helper in Manila. From the show, he gained a sari-sari store and a college scholarship for his daughter.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2012-06-11 |title=Former 'freakshow' attraction gets his wish for a better life |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/publicaffairs/wishkolang/261511/former-freakshow-attraction-gets-his-wish-for-a-better-life/story/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=GMA News Online |language=en}} In 2008, he was examined by a Filipino expert in separation of conjoined twins, and a removal surgery was deemed viable, but Santos ultimately rejected it, claiming that he had grown too attached to his twin during his life to have him removed.
References
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Category:Filipino people with disabilities