A 41-year-old man in China has been dubbed "Hippo Man" after a facial tumor grew so large it pushed his eyes to the side of his head, AOL News reported.
Fei Jianjun noticed a tiny, red bump on the tip of his nose last year, but he "didn’t pay much attention" to it at first, he said.
Fei’s tumor grew into the size of a human fist and it now covers half of his face, which has resulted in him not being able to breathe through his nose. He said he did not seek medical treatment when the tumor began to grow because he is so poor, but a local hospital in Changchun, Jilin province offered him free surgery.
"I try my best not to go out, as my family is too poor to compensate others if I scare them and make them sick," Fei said.
Fei’s doctor said without surgery and medical treatment, he would likely die within six months.
"We will give him radiation therapy first to shrink the tumor underneath, and then we'll perform plastic surgery on him," said Dr. Zhang Jianjun, of Jilin Military General Hospital.
Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.