NEED TO KNOW
A wellness coach died after his family said he took part in a “cleansing” ceremony involving Kambo, a drug derived from the skin of a poisonous Amazonian tree frog
Kristian Trend, 40, recovered from Burkitt lymphoma cancer, which piqued his interest in holistic wellness and meditation
“He was going to cleanse himself, that’s what he said to me,” the man’s mother said
A 40-year-old man died after undergoing a “detox” treatment that his family said used a drug made from the poisonous skin of an Amazonian tree frog.
On April 11, the Leicestershire Police Department responded to reports that the man, since identified as Kristian Trend, had been “unwell” at a property in Clarendon Park, according to The Telegraph. He was treated at the scene but later died at the hospital.
Trend died after his loved ones said he took part in a “cleansing” ceremony involving Kambo, a drug traditionally used in South American “purging” ceremonies, per the outlet.
“He was going to cleanse himself, that’s what he said to me,” Trend’s mother, Angie, told The Telegraph. “He was very spiritual. He took a lot of vitamins. But I don’t know what happened.”
Kristian Trend
Credit: Facebook
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Kambo is a secretion derived from the giant leaf frog. It has been linked to “complications like seizures, liver failure and heart attacks, sometimes resulting in sudden cardiac death.”
Trend’s family is still awaiting test results that may shed light on the exact circumstances surrounding his death.
“I don’t know anything, and I don’t even think I want to know what happened,” the man’s mother said. “It won’t bring him back.”
Prior to his death, Trend — who worked as a wellness coach, per The Telegraph — had recovered from Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive type of blood cancer.
His mother said he “nearly died” from the illness, and it later got him interested in holistic wellness and meditation.
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Monkey tree frog
Credit: Getty
“That’s the worst part,” Angie said of her son. “He was in the hospital for four months and got through that, and for this to happen is just awful.”
“It was his birthday the week after, and I’d bought all these presents,” the grieving mother continued.
Angie said her son was “a lovely, bubbly, spiritual man.” She added: “He loved partying and dancing. And he was very, very popular. More than 200 people came to his funeral from all over. I didn’t even know that side of him.”
Following Trend’s death, a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison but has since been released, per The Telegraph. The investigation remains ongoing.
Angie now hopes that action will be taken to prevent future tragedies caused by the drug, which remains largely unregulated.
“I hope they ban it, but I’m not strong enough to fight for it,” she admitted. “My husband died six years ago at 62. I’m completely lost now.”
Read the original article on People