This archive report was first published on 1 September 2019.
Kenyan man Ronny Rono, a former bodybuilding enthusiast, is in dire need of a life-saving operation after developing abnormal swelling in his arms and chest.
According to Rono, the condition began with a small swelling in his right arm in mid-2016, which spread to his left hand in April 2017 and eventually to his torso.
"The condition began with a small swelling in my right arm and when I went to a private hospital in Kericho town, I was just given painkillers and informed that I required surgery to remove the tumor," Rono said.
Despite undergoing a biopsy at the Kericho county hospital, doctors were unable to determine the cause of the swelling, which has left Rono feeling fatigued and experiencing breathing difficulties.
His arms have become almost numb, and he constantly experiences breathing difficulties among other problems.
Dr. W. Otieno, a radiologist at Lakeside MRI, conducted an MRI chest analysis, which noted: “Foci of fat infiltration are evident within the hypertrophied muscles.”
Dr. Philemon Letting of Kericho Fig Tree Hospital suspects that Rono's condition is a result of a Synthol injection, which Rono denies ever receiving during his bodybuilding days.
"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," Rono said.
Rono's wife abandoned him, taking their five-year-old daughter with her, and he was forced to quit his job at Elimu Sacco due to his health complications.
He is in need of at least Sh3 million to undergo plastic and reconstructive surgery to restore his shape.
Financial aid can be channeled to Mpesa Paybill number 763424.
