A bodybuilder has had to have his lower jaw amputated due to a rare form of cancer.
Hernerl de Sosa is now asking his fans for financial support to help rebuild his smile.
The fitness influencer, who has 58,000 Facebook followers and 27,000 Instagram fans, was first diagnosed with a rare form of oral cancer at the end of 2021.
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Multiple tumours started to appear in his lower jaw.
Sarcomas of the mandible are extremely rare tumours, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Hernerl, who comes from Veracruz in Mexico, said his life was shattered after a decade of bodybuilding and fitness instructing.
He had stopped training and focused on treating his condition.
However, doctors decided his type of cancer could not be treated with chemotherapy or radiation so they removed about 90% of his lower jaw.
They took a skin graft from his chest and reconstructed his jaw with a titanium prosthesis.
But things quickly took a turn for the worse.
Hernerl explained: “The cancer began to spread so I had to undergo 35 radiotherapy sessions.
“This caused the prosthesis to be exposed and it subsequently had to be removed.”
Hernerl went on to beat the cancer but has been left with a large part of his face missing.
He has launched an online campaign to raise funds for reconstructive surgery that will help him regain his smile.
The bodybuilder said: “Now that I have beaten cancer, there is one last step to take to be able to have a little more quality of life again.
“I ask for your support to be able to make this dream come true and for my neck to be freed, for my cervical vertebrae to no longer be compromised.”
He reportedly needs around £31,362 (MXN 800,000) to undergo the operation, as reported by Need To Know.
After his appeal was widely shared on social media, several plastic surgeons have reportedly contacted Hernerl about the possibility of carrying out the procedure for a lower cost.
Hernerl said: “God willing, facial reconstruction surgery will give me back my appearance.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish something.
“Sometimes the process is complicated, but with faith and self-love, we can overcome the obstacles.
“Cancer shook me at a time when I least expected it, but in the end it has made me stronger.”
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