What happened to Kelly Ronahan? Learn about her full story
Kelly Ronahan is a former ballet dancer and trainer from Canada. She gained fame after speaking about her health issues. Kelly claimed to be suffering from a mysterious illness and required a weekly blood transfusion to manage a rare blood disorder. As her health issues escalated, many offered their sympathies, but some started to doubt her sincerity.
Source: UGC
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Kelly Ronahan had her leg amputated following years of treatment with little improvement. After that, she slowly faded out of the limelight when the public discovered that most of her symptoms were self-inflicted. Many accused her of having Munchausen syndrome, a psychological disorder in which an individual feigns a disease for attention. Continue reading to learn more about Kelly Ronahan's story.
Profile summary
| Full name | Kelly Ronahan |
| Gender | Female |
| Place of birth | Kelowna, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Sibling | Gina (twin sister) |
| Marital status | Single |
| School | Okanagan College |
| Profession | Dancer, trainer |
What happened to Kelly Ronahan?
Kelly Ronahan was in her 30s when she became famous online after claiming to be suffering from a strange blood ailment. The Canadian withdrew from public view and even postponed her profession as a ballet dancer and trainer as her condition worsened.
Kelly Ronahan's full story
Kelly asserted that her condition was caused by a uterine fibroid and multiple sclerosis, but she offered no evidence to support her claims. She would require a hysterectomy if she didn't receive regular weekly blood transfusions. In the event that she didn't, she would die in four to six weeks from organ failure.
Source: UGC
Who donated blood for Kelly Ronahan?
In July 2016, Ronahan's online fans organized a blood drive for her after she was admitted to the hospital for seizures. Nonetheless, after several weeks of intensive medical care, the doctors deduced that she was faking her seizures and quickly discharged her.
A few years prior, she had stated that medical professionals were unable to ascertain the reason behind the sharp decline in her hemoglobin levels.
Thanks to well-wishers from her social media following, Kelly had received over 95 liters of blood through infusions from 55 donors via the Canadian Blood Service Clinic by 2016.
In her statement with Global News, she said:
I get three bags every two weeks, so that's three people, three blood donors, to save me every two weeks...Without the transfusions, I would go into organ failure, and within a month or six weeks, I would be dead, and I wouldn't be here.
From January to April 2017, she claimed her port had been inflamed, thus leading to Sepsis. She also made her fans aware of her past struggles with an eating disorder and her obsession with exercise. She also shared images of scars of when she used to hurt herself before falling ill.
Source: UGC
In April 2017, Ronahan returned to the hospital, alleging that an infection had returned to her ports. She was under the doctors' care for three weeks but still experienced more seizures and rashes throughout that period.
The medical professionals discovered that her hemoglobin levels were back to normal, thus sparking rumors about the dancer faking her illness.
While some continued to support Kelly, others expressed doubts about her intentions and mental health, particularly after she claimed that the physicians were working against her.
What was Kelly Ronahan's disease?
Kelly went further to reveal that her rare blood disorder was called Behcet's disease. Her port was removed by physicians in 2018, and it was declared that she would not require any more blood transfusions.
Kelly appeared to be getting better. She did, however, suffer sores and swelling on her feet about a month after her port was removed. Even after a battery of diagnostic tests, the experts were unable to determine the cause.
Source: UGC
What did Kelly Ronahan do to her legs?
A month after removing her ports, Kelly reported swelling on her feet and blisters. It was rumored that she would pick at her blisters to enlarge them and would smear feces into her wounds to make them worse. Many accused her of having Munchausen syndrome as a result of this.
Despite the accusations, Kelly Ronahan's Instagram page continued to feature heartbreaking photos of her injured legs despite the charges. Later on, she would include more images and videos.
What happened to Kelly Ronahan's skin?
Kelly subsequently stated that in 2019, she received a skin graft and was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. There was a glimmer of hope when she later announced that she had finished her first walk. Sadly, she picked at her leg and ended up going back to the hospital, where she spent three days.
The internet star began complaining that she was losing feeling in her ankles and legs as time went on. Following the loss of one of her toes, the doctors worried about Kelly Ronahan's nerve damage and blood circulation issues and recommended a leg amputation.
Kelly got prosthetics after her leg amputation in May 2021 and slowly retreated from the public eye and cut off her social media presence.
Source: UGC
Where is Kelly Ronahan now?
Kelly's current whereabouts are unknown. Her last Instagram post was in April 2021, where she talked about compensating for her inner beauty.
Is Kelly Ronahan still alive?
Unconfirmed claims that Kelly Ronahan passed away should be considered fake news. There is no proof of her burial location and cause of death from any valid source.
Facts about Kelly Ronahan
Kelly Ronahan's photos on her Instagram page reveal these facts about her:
- She loves cats and tending to plants.
- She can play the guitar, drive, and ride a bicycle.
- She loves long hair with bangs.
- She used to dance ballet while in hospital.
Kelly Ronahan was in hospital for a considerably long time. Many have been concerned about her well-being since she left the limelight and stopped posting on social media.
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