A fitness influencer was forced to have his have his lower jaw amputated after he was diagnosed with a rare form of oral cancer.
Hernerl de Sosa, a Mexican bodybuilder was diagnosed with mandibular sarcoma – a rare type of cancer that forms in the jaw bone – in October 2021.
He first noticed several bumps along his jaw which later developed into a football-sized tumor.
After decades of bodybuilding and fitness instructing, Sosa had to stop training and focused on treating his condition.
At the time, doctors decided that his type of cancer could not be treated with traditional eliminating methods such as chemotherapy or radiation supposedly believing they would be ineffective.
They ended up removing nearly 90 percent of his lower jaw and reconstructed his face using a titanium plate and a skin graft from his chest.
Hernerl de Sosa, a Mexican bodybuiler was found suffering from mandibular sarcoma with an 85 percent multiplication rate after he noticed multiple tumors in his lower jaw. in October 2021
But things quickly took a turn for the worse as the cancer continued to remain in his body.
According to his GoFundMe page, the cancerous cells began to spread from his jaw to all over of his body – requiring him to undergo 35 sessions of radiotherapy.
He recounted: ‘The cancer began to spread so I had to undergo 35 radiotherapy sessions. [This] caused the blood vessel muscles to burn, causing my body to reject or put on the [titanium] prosthesis.’
Since then, Sosa has only been able to drink liquids through straws.
His type of cancer is extremely rare. Sarcomas make up about one percent of all head and neck cancers out of which about 10 pecent start in the jaw.
Prior radiation therapy to the head and neck, tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption can also be other risk factors for mandibular sarcoma.
The most common treatment for a mandibular sarcoma is surgical resection of the tumor.
After numerous radiotherapy sessions, Sosa managed to beat the cancer but still has a large part of his face missing
Doctors ended up removing nearly 90 percent of his lower jaw and reconstructed his face using a titanium plate and a skin graft from his chest
As of now, his GoFundMe page has raised $51,177 (MXN $1,045,410)
After numerous radiotherapy sessions, Sosa managed to beat the cancer but still has a large part of his face missing.
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.’
As of now, his GoFundMe page has raised $51,177 (MXN $1,045,410).
After his appeal was widely shared on social media, several plastic surgeons have also reportedly contacted Hernerl about the possibility of carrying out the procedure for a lower cost.
He 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.’
While it is unclear what causes a mandibular sarcoma, experts believe genetics or a history trauma to the jaw area may be possible reasons.
