The world’s most famous blue man, Paul Karason, also dubbed Papa Smurf, was born as a fair-skinned, freckled boy with ginger hair. In the 2000s, he became an internet sensation and made many TV appearances, openly talking about his condition. Let’s find out together why Karason turned blue and how he became a cautionary tale.
Paul Karason had a skin condition that made his skin flake, as well as acid reflux and arthritis. Doing his own research in order to improve these ailments, he found out about a solution of silver in water, also known as colloidal silver.
Colloidal silver was widely used as an antibiotic back before penicillin was invented in the 1930s. It was banned in 1999 in over-the-counter medications after scientists found that it can severely damage internal organs.
The late Paul Karason and his wife, Joanne
Karason drank what he believed was a miracle cure for over 10 years. Moreover, he even began to apply a silver preparation directly to his skin; he claimed his acid reflux and arthritis just went away. “I had arthritis in my shoulders so bad I couldn’t pull a T-shirt off. And the next thing I knew, it was just gone,” he shared.
Due to the silver accumulation in his skin, he started to turn blue and suffered from a permanent and rare condition called argyria. Only when Karason met an old friend who asked him, “What have you done to yourself?” did he begin to realize he’d become blue.
Karason claimed his blue skin had many advantages — he never got sunburns or had to wear sunglasses. There were some side effects he did not appreciate, however, such as folks “being less than polite” to him. Moreover, Karason confessed he couldn’t get a job because of employers’ resistance to hiring “people that are blue or that are noticeably different.”
Sadly, Paul Karason passed away in 2013 when he was 62 years old due to heart complications.
Papa Smurf’s story serves as a valuable lesson about the importance of being careful when it comes to at-home remedies. While it’s natural to want to find easy solutions to health problems, it’s important to be aware that such remedies can sometimes pose serious risks. It’s always better to consult a doctor and follow their advice for a safe and effective treatment.
“I Can’t Move It,” the Real Reason Morgan Freeman Wore Only One Glove at the Oscars
When Morgan Freeman escorted Margot Robbie on stage at the 2023 Oscars, his left arm caught the attention of many. In fact, the 85-year-old actor wore an elbow-length satin black glove, which raised many concerns. And the reason behind it goes back to a heartbreaking event that transformed Freeman’s life 15 years ago.
Back in 2008, the Shawshank Redemption star was injured in a serious car accident that left him with a paralyzed left hand.
After the crash, Freeman had to undergo a 4-hour surgery in order to deal with his broken left shoulder, arm, and elbow.
A couple of years after the unfortunate event, the acclaimed actor opened up about his struggle, saying ’’I suffered nerve damage, and it hasn’t gotten better, I can’t move it.’’
He added, ’’If you don’t move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?’’
And even though doctors had reassured him that his hand would get better by 2011, this unfortunately didn’t happen to be the case.
Freeman ended up with permanent nerve damage and is still unable to wiggle his fingers.
And it seems that even 15 years later, the Oscar-winning actor is still dealing with the consequences of his accident, as we saw him wearing a glove during the ceremony.
According to experts, the compression glove works by lightly squeezing the veins in one’s hand to support blood circulation and can even help to manage tingling, pain, and swelling.
Preview photo credit PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/East News, PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/East News
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