Kelly Ronahan's name frequents online forums and true crime platforms about the strange and macabre, with her real-life horror story being stranger than fiction. What happened to Kelly Ronahan, and where is she today?

Kelly Ronahan’s story began when she started giving individuals insight into the 'mystery' illness plaguing the ballet dancer and getting in the way of her passion for dance. Many sympathetic individuals took note and followed her story but realised not all was as it seemed.

Kelly Ronahan’s profile summary

Kelly Ronahan’s full story sent shockwaves throughout chat forums and social media, constantly escalating the seriousness of her health concerns, which went viral. Was Kelly unwell, or was there another cause for her odd, ever-growing health issues?

What is the story behind Kelly Ronahan?

Kelly Ronahan's story has shocked and captivated people worldwide, especially considering the strange nature of her illness. The story begins in 2014 when Kelly first began publicly expressing health concerns.

Kelly said her health issues originally stemmed from multiple sclerosis and uterine fibroid and said she needed a hysterectomy to treat the uterine fibroid. However, this was not backed up by proof, and at this point, the public was genuinely concerned for her health.

Kelly Ronahan’s Facebook and Instagram posts were constantly focused on her health struggles, and she received regular blood transfusions following a constantly decreasing blood count. Still, doctors were left dumbfounded about the cause. By March 2016, Kelly had received 95 litres of blood from over 55 donors.

Kelly had joined a blood donation organisation and encouraged others to donate their blood to the Canadian Blood Service Clinic, crediting regular blood transfusions as saving her life. More local news outlets began covering her story, increasing awareness of Kelly's health issues.

By July 2016, Kelly was admitted to the hospital for seizures, but doctors discharged her and found nothing wrong with her. It was around this time that Kelly Ronahan was accused of having Munchausen syndrome by the public, based on doctor's observations and lack of any illnesses evident that could be causing her strange symptoms.

Health decline

Between January and April 2017, Kelly's health seemed to decline drastically. Her port had allegedly become inflamed, and she also claimed to have developed sepsis. Kelly stated she had various treatments regarding her growing infections and also mentioned her struggles with body image, disordered eating, and self-harm.

Kelly soon claimed to have increasing seizures, along with unexplained rashes, before doctors discharged her. After she went to get medical attention for an unrelated issue and had blood work done, the results came back normal, causing even more doubts regarding whether her health issues were genuine.

She claimed the doctors were plotting against her, and Kelly's health struggles became more extreme and elaborate. Kelly had claimed a plethora of health concerns, including a tare blood disease called Behcet's disease. Doctors dismissed the claim and removed her port in April 2018, and she was not believed to need it anymore.

What did Kelly's family say?

Kelly Ronahan’s sister, Gina Petrovich, would post about her sister's treatment regularly at the time, too, with the growing concern regarding what Kelly's condition could be, with some growing sceptical regarding whether she was genuinely sick. The post stated:

I don't always visit but when I do... all the coffee and the obligatory happy hospital moments.

What happened to Kelly Ronahan's legs?

Following the removal of her port, Kelly's health declined rapidly, this time with a focus on her legs. Kelly Ronahan’s legs and feet became swollen, blistered and eventually infected, with rumours of Kelly intentionally causing harm to herself to exacerbate her injuries.

Despite claiming to seek help for her legs, Kelly would pick and injure the affected areas more, causing extreme damage. Kelly Ronahan's nerves were exposed, yet she continued to cause more harm to the affected areas. At this point, it became apparent that Kelly's health concerns may be self-inflicted.

She reportedly received skin grafts on her leg injuries and eventually required amputation for one of her legs since it was in such poor condition at this point, and one of her toes had already fallen off. Following the surgery, Kelly expressed wanting to receive prosthetics.

Is Kelly Ronahan still alive?

Considering her spiralling health, where is Kelly Ronahan today? According to sources, Kelly's last post was made in April 2021, and she discussed compensating for her inner beauty. The controversial figure has not spoken out since then, and it is unknown where she is as of 2024. However, it is assumed she is alive.

Social media pages

Although now inactive, Kelly's Instagram page remains content regarding her declining health. Her Instagram page has 17.5K followers as of 2024. You can also check various subreddits dedicated to her case on Reddit.

Kelly Ronahan's story shocked everyone who came across it, adding credence to the saying that fact is stranger than fiction. Kelly's declining health with disastrous results is considered by many as one of the most disturbing examples of Munchausen syndrome, with a lasting impact on those who followed the strange and unsettling story.

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