Rhiannon Ingle
A 40-year-old wellness coach has died after undergoing a 'detox' treatment his family said involved a substance made from the poisonous skin secretions of an Amazonian tree frog.
Last month (11 April), officers from the Leicestershire Police Department responded to reports that Kristian Trend had been 'unwell' at a property in Clarendon Park, according to The Telegraph. He was treated at the scene before later dying in hospital.
Trend’s family said he had taken part in a 'cleansing' ceremony involving Kambo, a substance traditionally used in South American 'purging' rituals.
"He was going to cleanse himself, that's what he said to me," Trend’s mother, Angie, told the outlet. "He was very spiritual. He took a lot of vitamins. But I don't know what happened."
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According to the National Institutes of Health, Kambo is a secretion taken from the giant leaf frog.
"Kambo is purported to offer several benefits, both physical and psychological," NIH states. "Proponents of this practice claim that it can enhance physical endurance, sharpen mental clarity, and boost overall health.
"However, the side effects, such as tachycardia, blood pressure fluctuations, and gastrointestinal distress, highlight the need for caution."
The health body adds that the substance has been linked to 'complications like seizures, liver failure and heart attacks, sometimes resulting in sudden cardiac death'.
The family is still waiting for test results that could clarify the exact circumstances surrounding Trend’s death.
“I don't know anything, and I don't even think I want to know what happened," Angie said. "It won't bring him back.”
Before his death, Trend had recovered from Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer.
His mother said he 'nearly died' from the illness, which was what later sparked his interest in holistic wellness and meditation.
"That's the worst part," Angie said. "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," she added.
Angie described her son as 'a lovely, bubbly, spiritual man'.
"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."
A 41-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of administering poison but has since been released, according to The Telegraph.
The investigation is ongoing.
Grieving mum Angie told the outlet that she hopes action is taken over the largely unregulated substance to stop similar deaths from happening again in the future.
"I hope they ban it, but I'm not strong enough to fight for it," she said. "My husband died six years ago at 62. I'm completely lost now."