Baby born with eight limbs takes her first steps after life-saving surgery

Little Lakshmi Tatma had a life-saving operation to remove her headless conjoined twin in November year.

Families in her remote village in India believed she was the reincarnation of the eight limbed Hindu goddess of wealth and fortune Lakshmi.

Two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma takes her first steps after surgeons performed a life saving operation eight months ago to remover her parasitic twin

Worshipped: People came from far and wide to pay their respsects to the little girl

Her parents were reluctant to agree to the operation for fear it would bring bad luck until doctors told them she would struggle to survive into her teens without it.

Now the brave youngster is learning to walk for the first time eight months after the successful 27-hour procedure.

In an extremely rare case, Lakshmi was joined at the spine to what is medically known a 'parasitic twin'.

Lakshmi was joined to her parasitic twin at the pelvis, leaving her unable to walk

She could not use the twin's arms and legs, but the conjoined body fed on hers for oxygen and nutrition.

Each body had one kidney, with the twin's transplanted to Lakshmi during the operation.

Lakshmi, whose progress is being monitored by American television's National Geographic Channel and ABC, now attends a school for disabled children.

She will need more surgery on her spine and on her feet, which were turned inwards.

Lakshmi's parents initially believed the surgery would bring back luck, until doctors said she was unlikely to survive into adulthood without it

Families in Lakshmi's remote Indian believed she was the reincarnation of the eight limbed Hindu goddess of wealth and fortune Lakshmi