When he suffered a suspected blood clot and feared for his life, Britain’s heaviest man confessed that doctors considered transferring him to a zoo.
Doctors told Jason Holton, who weighs 47st or 298kg, that the only machine capable of maintaining his gigantic bulk while his heart and lungs were evaluated was one used by vets on animals such as zebras.
Jason, 33, claims that his body enlarged in January while he fought for his life after doctors feared he had a blood clot and that his internal organs were about to fail.
“I was close to death and convinced I was going to die,” Jason told the Sun UK. It was terrifying to see myself puff up like the Nutty Professor.
“I thought I was going to blow up.” I had large bulges all over my body.
“When the ambulance arrived, I initially refused to accompany them because I wanted to die.”
“But then I remembered my family and how upset they’d be, and I resolved to try to get better.”
“Doctors suspected I had a blood clot but couldn’t pinpoint where it was, and they were concerned that my heart had been damaged and I would require a pacemaker.”
My mum was convinced I’d suffered a mini heart attack and my doctor looked shocked when he saw the state of me — he was amazed I was still alive.
“At one point they were talking about taking me to London Zoo to have my heart and lungs examined with equipment they normally use on large animals like zebras.
‘I can’t remember the last time I walked’
“They said that was the only way they could properly X-ray my heart.
“My doctor was convinced this was the best thing for me, but they decided against it in the end.
“I’m not sure why — I think it was because of the cost.”
Jason claims that his condition improved after therapy at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.
He claims he cries himself to sleep every night because he is so upset over his weight, and he hasn’t left his specially converted £400,000 cottage in a Hampshire village for six months since his legs are no longer strong enough to support him.
He needs to take a lot of medication to keep his heart pumping and his blood pressure normal, as well as to treat lymphoedema in his groyne and legs, a chronic condition that causes water retention and swelling.
