Man's Face Swells To Three Times Its Normal Size Because Of Mystery Illness

A mystery illness has caused a father-of-three to become unrecognisable after his face swelled to three times its normal size.

Romulo Pilapil, from the Philippines, first noticed symptoms about three years ago when he started having itchy eyes and a runny nose.

Thinking it was just an standard bug, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with sinusitis. After being given medication for the illness, he continued to take the pills, but after two weeks his face had started to swell and his condition worsened.

The 56-year-old carpenter had left doctors on the island of Leyte, where he lives, at a loss as to what the illness was. They said he should travel to the Philippines' capital Manila, where there are better healthcare provisions, hoping he could be treated there.

Sadly though, his family could not afford the cost of travel and medication and his condition got even worse. Pilapil then began to lose his eyesight, with his eyelids swelling so much that they closed.

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The knock-on effect on the family has been huge; his children, all of whom were students, have been forced to quit their studies to work and help support the family, while his wife has become a street sweeper.

They all take it in turns to look after him at home, with his nephew John Santos saying they thought it was a simple allergy when he fell ill.

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John explained: "His eyes looked irritated that day, and his nose was red.

"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," he continued.

"Since then he hasn't had any treatment."

Since Romulo last went to the doctors in 2018, he has simply been living with the condition as there is nothing more doctors on the island can do to help him.

John added: "They are good people who don't deserve this. I hope they can get help soon."

Hopefully, it won't be long before Romulo can get the help he needs.

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. After a few years working on festivals and events, she went back to her roots. In her spare time, Amelia likes music, Liverpool FC, and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@amelialadbible