Leoncio Rudy Santos (1953 - December 2022), also known by his stage name Octoman, was a Filipino with a

parasitic twin A parasitic twin, also known as an asymmetrical twin or unequal conjoined twin, occurs when a twin embryo begins developing in utero, but the pair does not fully separate, and one embryo maintains dominant development at the expense of the other. ...

. 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 The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

and protruding from his abdomen. Also, an undeveloped head is attached to his

sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...

, 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.

Poverty and examination

During the late 1980s, he retired himself into seclusion in

Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (; ; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Bagbenwa Sembwangan''; Sama–Bajaw languages, Sama: ''Lungsud Samboangan''; ; ; ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city i ...

, plunging into ten years of extreme poverty. His wife and daughter joined him. He appeared in the television show ''

Wish Ko Lang! ''Wish !'' () is a Philippine television public service drama anthology series broadcast by GMA Network. Originally hosted by Bernadette Sembrano, it premiered on June 29, 2002 on the network's Saturday afternoon line up. The series concluded o ...

''. In the show, he was reunited with his wife, who served as a domestic helper in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. From the show, he gained a sari-sari store and a college scholarship for his daughter. In 2008, he was examined by a Filipino expert in separation of

conjoined twins Conjoined twins, popularly referred to as Siamese twins, are twins joined '' in utero''. It is a very rare phenomenon, estimated to occur in anywhere between one in 50,000 births to one in 200,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in south ...

, 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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santos, Rudy 1953 births Sideshow performers Filipino people with disabilities People with parasitic twins Filipino twins