Kelly Ronahan: Munchausen's or Misdiagnosis?

Kelly Ronahan, the woman who picked at her legs until they had to be amputated. Photo: Netline

Kelly Ronahan became an internet star by posting videos of her frequent blood transfusions and medical treatments for her myriad of health conditions. As time went on fans became suspicious of the reality of Kelly’s situation. Eventually, Kelly’s legs had to be amputated after she kept picking them and refusing to let them heal.

Who is Kelly Ronahan?

Kelly Ronahan's story is a tragic one that has gained attention on TikTok, Instagram and Reddit in recent times. Kelly was a talented ballet teacher but is rumoured to have struggled with eating disorders, self harm and body dysmorphia.

Kelly Ronahan Becomes an Instagram Star

In 2014, Kelly Ronahan became quite well known on Instagram for her struggle with a rare blood disease that required her to undergo weekly blood transfusions. Her hemoglobin count continued to drop, but doctors couldn't determine the cause of her condition.

By March 2016, Kelly had already received 95 liters of blood, as she revealed in an interview with Global News. She required three bags of blood from three different donors every two weeks to stay alive. Without these transfusions, she would quickly go into organ failure and die within a few weeks.

Despite the blood transfusions, Kelly's health continued to deteriorate, and she was no longer able to return to work as a ballet teacher. She expressed her fear about the future, as she was becoming increasingly intolerant to blood with each transfusion.

Kelly’s story brought her lots of sympathy and well wishers, and thousands of people followed her for updates on her conditions.

Doctors Become Suspicious of the Cause of Kelly’s Illnesses

In July 2016, Kelly Ronahan was hospitalized for seizures, but doctors eventually released her after discovering that she had been faking the seizures.

Despite this revelation, many people continued to show their support for Kelly, and even organized blood drives in her honor throughout the rest of 2016. A local news channel also featured her story, further strengthening the belief that Kelly was genuinely ill and needed help.

However, in early 2017, Kelly's port became infected, leading to sepsis. She also disclosed to her followers that she had been struggling with exercise addiction and eating disorders. Additionally, Kelly admitted to having self-harmed before falling ill, but some of the scars she shared on social media did not appear to be three years old.

Following the earlier infection of her port, Kelly Ronahan experienced another infection which required her to be monitored by doctors for three weeks. Shortly before her planned discharge, she experienced seizures and developed a rash.

In April 2017, Kelly was hospitalized for a different reason, and blood tests showed that her hemoglobin count was normal. This led to speculation that she had been feigning her rare condition for attention. However, Kelly disputed these claims, accusing the doctor of conspiring against her.

In April of 2018, doctors removed Kelly’s port because she no longer required transfusions. At this time rumors of Kelly faking her illness had gained significant traction.

Kelly Ronahan’s Legs

Photos of Kelly Ronahan in the hospital with her leg issues. Photo: Yen.com.gh

This is where the story gets really horrific. Not long after her port was removed, Kelly Ronahan reported experiencing swelling on her feet and blisters that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

The blisters continued to enlarge as Kelly impulsively picked at them, causing her significant pain. Despite this, doctors were unwilling to prescribe pain medication to Kelly.

As 2018 progressed, Kelly's condition continued to deteriorate, with her scabs turning into larger wounds. The situation became more complicated when she began experiencing seizures and developing blisters on her hands. Doctors became increasingly concerned about potential circulation issues and nerve damage.

Sadly, Kelly also received hateful comments on social media, which took a toll on her mental health. Her followers could witness the worsening of her condition through the progressively more difficult-to-look-at photos she posted.

Several reddit posts have documented the deterioration of Kelly’s legs as they became more and more rotten. They show that Kelly had picked her skin to the bone and exposed nerves and tendons.

These photos can still be found online, however we don’t recommend looking for them. They’re pretty horrendous.

More positively, in 2019 Kelly received skin grafts, which appeared to help improve her condition after doctors diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease.

Kelly’s Legs are Amputated

Kelly was initially pleased with the outcome of her skin grafts and seemed to be on an upward trajectory. Unfortunately it didn’t last for long. Kelly continued picking at the skin grafts until they were destroyed.

Kelly was admitted for three days in an attempt to save her legs. Despite several experts examining her case, none could determine her condition.

As time passed, Kelly experienced a loss of sensation in her legs and ankles, and her wounds remained unhealed due to their size and her tendency to interfere with her recovery.

Eventually, Kelly’s doctors decided amputation was the only way forward.

Kelly updated her followers after the procedure, stating that she had started physiotherapy a few hours after surgery but was in a lot of pain. She also shared her intention to work hard and not spend another summer in bed.

Although she admitted to crying around 20 times a day and feeling devastated and shocked, she remained determined to overcome her difficulties.

Is Kelly Ronahan still Alive?

A video telling the strange and awful story of Kelly Ronahan

Kelly's social media presence diminished after her surgery, but she did reveal that she planned to get prosthetics and would likely update her followers on her progress.

We hope that she has gone on to live a more normal life and has found some happiness.