This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
Former bodybuilder Ronny Rono's life has taken a devastating turn after he developed strange swelling in his arms and chest, which doctors suspect may be caused by a Synthol injection.
According to Standard, Rono, a 30-year-old bodybuilding enthusiast, has been bedridden since June 2016 and relies on his aunt and cousins to feed, bathe, and clothe him.
‘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 in an interview.
Despite undergoing a biopsy at the Kericho county hospital in April 2017, doctors were unable to determine the cause of Rono's condition, which has since spread to his left hand, chest, and is now affecting his neck.
‘I 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 added.
Doctors at the Kericho Fig Tree hospital suspect that Rono's condition may be caused by a Synthol injection, a substance used by some bodybuilders to enhance muscle growth.
However, Rono denies ever receiving such an injection, claiming that he was drunk most of the time during his bodybuilding days and has no memory of everything he might have done.
Due to his condition, Rono's wife abandoned him, taking their five-year-old daughter with her. Rono has since lost his job and is in dire need of Sh3 million to undergo plastic and reconstructive surgery to restore his shape.
