‘First British victim’ dies after frog poison detox
A man has died after participating in a treatment using the secretions from a tree frog found in the Amazon. He's believed to be the first British person to die in connection with the practice.
Kristian Trend, 40, reportedly collapsed after having the ceremony, which uses a substance known as Kambo, at an address in Leicester last month, according to an exclusive report in The Telegraph.
Kambo is made using chemicals from a tree frog, and is sometimes used in traditional medicine.
The substance is regulated in many countries around the world, including Brazil and Chile, but it is legal to buy it in the UK.
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At present a cause of death for Trend, who worked as a wellbeing coach, has not been formally established, and it is expected that an inquest will be opened into his death at the coroner's court in Leicestershire, reports The Telegraph.
Following his sudden death, Mr Trend's mother Angie has spoken out, telling the newspaper: “He was going to cleanse himself, that’s what he said to me. He was very spiritual. He took a lot of vitamins. But I don’t know what happened.
She added: “We haven’t had the test results back yet. I don’t know anything and I don’t even think I want to know what happened. It won’t bring him back.”
Mrs Trend explained that her son had also recovered from Burkitt lymphoma, a form of cancer which had nearly killed him.
Mr Trend had spent four months in hospital being treated for the condition, with his mum saying that 'for this to happen is just awful' after he had been through such an ordeal.
Kambo is practised by some communities in the Amazon, and involves a ceremony in which holes are burned into the skin using a hot stick, causing small blisters to form.
The frog secretions are then applied to these burned areas, and it is used as a fertility and cleansing ritual.
Indigenous groups that engage in the practice have also warned that other people should not do it, with Yamanawa leader Joaquim Luz slamming sale of the substance on the internet, and warning that people may put themselves in danger if they use the substance without the proper preparation and consent of indigenous communities.
In a statement shared with The Telegraph, a spokesperson for the UK government said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Trend’s family and loved ones. Any substance that poses a risk to public health or safety will be kept under review.
“We urge individuals to exercise caution when considering alternative therapies and to be aware of the potential risks involved.”
A fundraising tribute has been set up on Much Loved, with his family saying on his Facebook page: "We would like to raise as much money as possible for such an amazing charity that meant the world to him and us as a family. Fly high big bro. we love you always, Mum, Kayla and Bligh."
Kit Roberts