Bachelorettes Cam Ayala undergoes leg amputation after incurable condition Tue 28 June 2022

Publish date: 2024-04-09

Former Bachelorette star Cam Ayala underwent leg amputation surgery and shared an update with fans over his condition.

The Texas native first appeared on Season 15 of The Bachelorette, where he was after interior designer Hannah Brown. He has been living with this lymphedema since he was 12 years old, but few knew his story.

Since he first opened up on social media after his short but vivid journey on The Bachelorette, he documented his journey and recovery process through his Instagram. Sharing photos and videos of his workouts, Cam Ayala has proved that such a condition can’t prevent him from living life to the full.

According to the site Cancer, lymphedema is “the build-up of fluid in soft body tissues when the lymph system is damaged or blocked.” It causes swelling in the affected regions of the body, which most often are in the arms or legs. The condition itself it’s not life-threatening, however, there’s no cure for lymphedema.

Fighting Lymphedema – Faith over fear

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A post shared by Cam Ayala (@camronayala)

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On June 25, Cam Ayala updated Instagram by posting a picture from the day after his leg amputation procedure. The operation came 20 years after being diagnosed with lymphedema.

Laying on the bed and posing with friend and singer B.Rapp, he told his 22.3k Instagram followers: “Gotta lotta BROMENTUM with @b.rapp #amputee #CAMputee #FAITHoverFEAR 🙏🏽✝️“

In another update, Cam posted several smiley images with family, and friends as well as some nurses. He also added a video of himself trying to walk with a four-legged crutch with the help of his father.

Before his leg amputation procedure, Cam Ayala underwent 16 knee surgeries in seven years to treat the disease. Diagnosed before his teenage days, lymphedema has mainly affected his right leg.

His journey in The Bachelorette

Viewers met Cam during season 15 of The Bachelorette. The Texas native was one out of the 33 contestants that were after Bachelorette Hannah Brown.

As reported by Refinery 29, the 34-year-old first kept his lymphedema condition a secret from the show, but later opened up about his medical condition once he formed a connection with Hannah.

The contestant was framed by viewers to want a “pity rose” by telling his story to Hannah.

During an interview with the news outlet, Cam clarified that he wasn’t looking for “pity or sympathy from anybody”. Instead, he always kept his condition silent because he didn’t want “any special treatment” from it.

“One reason why I was telling Hannah, was I wanted to say: ‘Look, I know that this is a show. But in reality, if it’s going to be you and I at the end of this, and we’re going to be husband and wife, and we’re exchanging vows of in sickness and in health.’ I need to know that you actually mean that and can handle what’s unknown for me,” Cam explained.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out between Hannah and Cam. As a result, he was eliminated in the third week. Cam returned in season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise but was eliminated in the second week.

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