Tyrone Bowd with his mother Tanya at their property at Willowbank, Tyrone suffers from scrotal oedema. His testicles are now the size of watermelons and growing by the day — and it could be a death sentence unless he has surgery in the US. Photo: Jamie Hanson Source: News Corp Australia
TYRONE Bowd has a scrotum the size of a watermelon and it won’t stop growing.
The 24-year-old from Willowbank is intellectually impaired and faces a death sentence unless he can raise more than $100,000 for lifesaving surgery in the United States.
Tanya, his mum and full time carer, is calling on public donations to get the treatment her son needs to survive. Currently they have raised $5700.
Ms Bowd, a mother-of-four, said Tyrone was diagnosed with scrotal lymphedema about 12 months ago.
The condition puts Tyrone’s life at risk with infections that make his temperature soar, his heart race and his body turn septic.
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His scrotum has continued to grow larger and is already down to his knees, his quality of life is diminishing, Ms Bowd said.
“As a mother the last 12 months have been emotional. I can’t sleep and I’m always doing research about how to help my son.
“Some days I get to the point where I think we won’t get the help we need but as a mother I can’t stop. I’m 100 per cent committed to saving my son’s life.”
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Ms Bowd said her son, who weighs 112kg who also has an inverted penis, had sought help from more than 100 medical professionals including doctors at Ipswich Hospital.
“No one can help us in Australia. I had doctors discuss building a team to give surgery a go only to be told by a urologist that if I was to sign on the dotted line and allow anyone in Australia to operate I would be signing my son’s life away.”
She said Californian specialist Dr Joel Geldman and his medical team could perform an operation to save Tyrone’s life.
Dr Geldman, a Clinical Professor of Urology and the director of the Center for Reconstructive Urology at the University of California is known globally for his surgery to remove a man’s 60kg scrotum, with full preservation of his penis and both testicles.
“I’ve contacted Dr Geldman and I have had continuous correspondence with him. He has been monitoring Tyrone’s condition via medical reports CT scans, ultrasounds and photographs,” she said.
Tyrone Bowd with his mother Tanya Bowd. Source: News Corp Australia
Ms Bowd said that maintaining a normal family life was difficult.
“Tyrone needs help to go to the toilet and he has a lot of difficulty walking.
“He broke his leg in a motorbike accident earlier this year and that’s because his scrotum was a hindrance on the bike.
“His scrotum is so big that he can’t ride a bike anymore and family and friends pitched in to get him a quad bike.”
Ms Bowd said her son had a heart of gold and rarely complained about the pain his conditioned caused.
“He is always trying to make everyone he meets laugh, he loves fast cars, motor bikes, playing jokes, listening to music and spending time with people,” she said.
A fundraising Car Drive for Tyrone will be held this Saturday at Ipswich.
Members of the public can register ($20) for the event on site at Redbank Plaza, Collingwood Park from 7.30am.
The 1.5 hour event involves driving your own car through areas including Rosewood, Amberley, Willowbank and finishing at Bundamba’s Racehorse Hotel where a Show and Shine event will be held.
For more information head to South-West News on Facebook and go to Car Drive for Tyrone.
What can you do to help Tyrone?
Leave a comment below or email Reshni Ratnam