This archive report was first published on 31 August 2019.
Former bodybuilder Ronny Rono lies motionless in his bed at his aunt's house in Kericho town, where he has been relying on his family for care since June 2016. The 30-year-old, from Bureti constituency, developed muscular atrophy and biceps pectoral muscles due to a suspected case of Synthol injection.
According to Rono, the condition began with a small swelling in his right arm, which he first noticed in June 2016. He visited a private hospital in Kericho town, where he was given painkillers and told that he required surgery to remove the tumor. However, the swelling spread to his left hand in April 2017, and by last year, it had reached an alarming level, affecting his chest and underarms.
"The condition makes me feel like I am carrying a lot of weight which my backbone cannot support and that is why I am always feeling fatigued, I have to lie in bed," Rono said. He also experiences difficulty in breathing and has undergone a biopsy at the Kericho county hospital, but the doctors were unable to determine the cause of his condition.
Dr. W. Otieno, a radiologist at Lakeside MRI, conducted an MRI chest analysis, which indicated that Rono's pectoris muscles are grossly enlarged and show heterogeneous contrast. "Foci of fat infiltration are evident within the hypertrophied muscles," reads part of the medical examination.
Dr. Philemon Letting of Kericho Fig Tree hospital suspects that Rono's condition is a suspected case of Synthol injection. However, Rono denies having received the injection during his bodybuilding days at a gym in Nairobi. "I don't have any recollection of receiving the Synthol injection. I was nonetheless drunk most of the time during my bodybuilding days and I don't have a memory of everything I might have done," he said.
Rono's wife abandoned him and their five-year-old daughter after he lost his job at Elimu Sacco due to his deteriorated health. His cousin, Hilda Chepkemoi, has appealed for help, stating that at least Sh3 million is required to restore Rono's shape through plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Well-wishers can come to Rono's aid by channeling their contribution to Paybill no 763424. "I pray that I will get healed. Go back to work and be in a position to win back my family. I really miss my daughter,” said Rono.
