A father-of-three became unrecognizable after a mystery illness caused his face to swell to three times the normal size.
Romulo Pilapil first noticed the symptoms three years ago when he started having a runny nose and itchy eyes.
The 56-year-old carpenter from the Philippines thought it was a standard bug. He went to a hospital and was diagnosed with sinusitis. He took the given medication for the illness but his face started to swell after two weeks and his condition worsened.
Doctors from the island of Leyte said he should go to the country’s capital, Manila, where he could be treated properly.
Unfortunately, his family couldn’t afford the cost of medication and travel and his condition continued to get worse.
Pilapil’s eyelids swelled so much that he couldn’t see anymore. His wife has become a street sweeper while his young children were forced to quit their studies so they could work and help the family.
His family members take turns in watching over him at home, with his nephew John Santos saying they initially thought it was just a simple allergy.
“His eyes looked irritated that day, and his nose was red,” John said. “He had colds so everybody thought it was sinusitis, then his face started to swell.
“The doctors asked him to transfer to a bigger hospital in Manila where they could treat him, but the family could not afford to do this. Since then he hasn’t had any treatment.”
It was in 2018 when he last went to the doctors. He has been living with the mystery illness as there’s nothing more doctors in the area can do to treat him.
“They are good people who don’t deserve this. I hope they can get help soon,” John expressed.
We hope that Mr. Pilapil will get help soon!
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