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Man fundraising for surgery to remove watermelon-sized mass
The 61-year-old says repeated NHS refusals left him seeking a specialist abroad after the hernia began rupturing and bleeding.
- Shop fitter John Burden is raising £4,500 for hernia surgery in Lithuania after the NHS denied him treatment. The Weymouth, Dorset resident has a watermelon-sized mass requiring XXXXL shirts to fit over the lump.
- Burden first noticed the hernia three and a half years ago when it was golf ball-sized. Despite losing nearly 20kg to reach 114kg, he claims doctors repeatedly refused to operate, citing his weight as a barrier.
- Over the past four months, the mass has ruptured repeatedly, forcing emergency room visits and a blood transfusion. Burden now relies on Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments after becoming unable to work.
- Anticipating further NHS rejections, Burden contacted the European Hernia Society in Lithuania last year, which agreed to perform the surgery. He is now fundraising to cover travel and procedure costs totaling more than $6,000.
- A spokesperson for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said they cannot discuss individual cases due to patient confidentiality. They encouraged Burden to contact their patient experience team to investigate the matter further.
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Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Center
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54% Center
L 31%
C 54%
15%
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