A Filipino boy who has been suffering from swollen giant ‘elephant legs’ since 2012 will finally be receiving treatment in order to address the issue.
Gerald Coronado, a 21-year-old Filipino boy, will finally be able to receive treatment for his swollen giant elephant legs that have rendered him unable to walk.
Coronado first received treatment for his legs back in 2012 after his right calf began to swell, receiving several operations to address his swollen giant elephant legs and restore the ability to function.
However, due to their financial situation, the family of the Filipino boy were unable to continue paying for treatments – leaving Gerald unable to walk due to the accumulated fluid in his legs.
Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis and the condition that Coronado suffers from, causes one or multiple body parts to swell due to the accumulation of fluid. If the fluid isn’t addressed, it can leave victims unable to function due to the rapid growth of extremities.
However, earlier this month, several good samaritans banded together in order to send Mr Coronado to a doctor who was able to immediately alert the government – securing funding for operations to help address the swollen giant elephant legs of the Filipino boy and hopefully get him back to normal functioning.
“My legs have been like this since 2012. Even then my legs were so big that I could no longer walk,” the Filipino boy told the Daily Mail.
“I thought that having one operation would fix this. But after the operation the swelling became worse. I stayed at home and my legs continued growing…I’m so thankful to everybody who has helped to send me to hospital and for all of the doctors working for me.”
Treatment for his swollen giant elephant legs began on Sunday, where he spent time in the hospital undergoing x-rays, scans, and tests. Doctors hope that they will be able to operate later this week in order to address the fluid buildup and return the ability to walk.
‘Gerald’s mother is with him in the hospital and she’ll be looking after him all week,’ his aunt May Coronado said.
‘Gerald has had a very difficult life and many problems with his legs but we’re hoping and praying that he will finally be fixed.’
Hopefully, with the assistance of an expert team of doctors, the Filipino boy will be able to address his swollen giant elephant legs and get back to a life with some sense of normalcy. Elephantiasis is relatively rare, but it’s a debilitating and disfiguring illness that can cause a lot of heartache and stress. Now that the situation is being addressed, Gerald may finally be able to walk again and go about his life.
With finances no longer as much of an issue, the surgeries will be able to take place in order to drain fluid and bring his swollen giant elephant legs back to a normal size.
