A pensioner dubbed ‘the man with two heads’ can finally sleep with ease after having his giant facial tumour removed.
Jaroon Suanmali, 71, from Lopburi, Thailand, suffered years of unbearable pain after the growth ballooned and he could no longer afford to visit doctors.
Mr Suanmali’s tumour made it nearly impossible to sleep, as well as taking away his hearing when it grew to cover his right ear.
Working as a rubbish collector, Mr Suanmali earned just £2 a day, however, a picture taken by a passer-by and posted in local media led to thousands of pounds worth of donations, allowing him to finally have the 15cm, 4.4lb (2kg) growth removed.
Mr Suanmali said: ‘I have a feeling that’s amazing, it’s like nothing I could have imagined. I have a new life. I am a new person again.’
The pensioner previously said he wanted to die to end his suffering.
Jaroon Suanmali, dubbed ‘the man with two heads’ can finally sleep easy after having surgery
Mr Suanmali suffered ‘unbearable pain’ but, earning £2 a day, was unable to afford treatment
The growth, which was 15cm and 4.4lb, was removed due to thousands of pounds of donations
‘I am a new person’
Mr Suanmali said: ‘I have a feeling that’s amazing, it’s like nothing I could have imagined.
‘My neighbours weren’t sure I would survive. I didn’t even know if I could wake up after the operation. Now I have a new life. I am a new person again.’
Dr Worawat Kaewwichian, who performed the surgery, said: ‘Tests are being carried out on the tumour and the patient is still hospitalised.
‘He can return home next week. This was big surgery. But we’re glad to know that the doctors here can treat this disease.’
Paetohpat Gangwinpong, permanent secretary and spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, said: ‘We are pleased to announce the successful completion of life-saving surgery for the patient suffering a large-scalp tumour.
‘The weight of this had made daily life difficult for him but he is now free again.’
A passer-by photographed Mr Suanmali, which was then shared by local media
Dr Worawat Kaewwichian, who performed the surgery, demonstrates the tumour’s size
Dubbed ‘the man with two heads’
Mr Suanmali first noticed the growth more than 10 years ago but local doctors told him it would subside.
Yet, the tumour continued growing, leading to him being cruelly dubbed ‘the man with two heads’ by his neighbours.
Doctors performed an MRI scan and finally diagnosed a tumour after an online appeal earlier this month.
Surgeons found the growth was not extending inside the skull, which allowed them to successfully operate on November 13 and remove the tumour and affected tissue.
The pensioner can even hear again.
Tests are now being conducted on the tumour in order to plan Mr Suanmali’s future treatment.
Before the surgery, the pensioner questioned whether he wanted to live and lost his hearing
Mr Suanmali was forced to work to save for surgery despite his age (pictured: his home)
‘I sometimes wish I would never wake up’
Before his image was shared across local media, Mr Suanmali said: ‘I sometimes wish someone would give me a load of pills and I would never wake up.’
Forced to work despite his age and illness, Mr Suanmali scraped together as much money as he could and relied on the help of his sons.
He even questioned whether the surgery would be successful were he to have the funds.