As an extreme stuntman, Ray Kohn was used to achy joints and knee pain, but when he gained more than 100lbs and his feet grew two sizes, the 38-year-old became concerned.
Mr Kohn had spent nearly two decades jumping his Dodge Charger hundreds of feet in the air off ramps in front of tens of thousands of fans.
So, when he noticed a dull ache in his knees and elbows in 2015, the Ohio native figured his daredevil lifestyle had finally caught up to him.
But over the next eight years, his ‘whole body swelled up.’
His clothes got tighter and he packed on 115lbs, despite starving himself for days on end and hitting the gym daily.
His feet ballooned two sizes and he outgrew his stunt helmet twice. Every time he shook someone’s hand, they would comment how ‘massive’ it was and liken the experience to ‘shaking hands with a brick wall.’
By 2023, his previously ‘perfect smile’ had a severe underbite, and he could barely walk from crippling arthritis. His voice deepened, and his blood pressure and glucose shot so high he was on the verge of diabetes.
Mr Kohn, now 47, told DailyMail.com: ‘I could see interviews of myself doing jumps from like, 2007, 2010, and I’m like, “I don’t even look like that anymore. I don’t sound like that. What’s going on?”
‘I felt like a freak.’
Ray Kohn’s hands, feet, and head all ballooned in size and he was diagnosed in 2023 with acromegaly, caused by a tumor in his pituitary gland. He is pictured above before his tumor removal surgery
Mr Kohn, pictured here with the Dodge Charger he uses for stunts, told DailyMail.com he ‘felt like a freak’ as his body grew uncontrollably and his protective gear no longer fit
Over the years, Mr Kohn had visited several doctors, all of whom dismissed the bizarre symptoms.
It wasn’t until a doctor noticed deep creases in his forehead in 2023 that he ordered a blood test, which revealed Mr Kohn’s levels of human growth hormone – which regulates body size and metabolism – were four times higher than normal.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Soon after his blood tests, an MRI scan showed Mr Kohn had a rare condition called acromegaly, caused by a tumor growing on his pituitary gland, the center of the brain that controls the body’s hormones.
Affecting less than one in 100,000 people worldwide – including wrestler Andre the Giant – acromegaly causes bones in the hands, feet, and face to grow uncontrollably.
It can also lead to thickening of the skin, which led to the creases on his head prompting his doctor to run tests.
Acromegaly can also cause a host of internal health issues.
People with acromegaly often have higher than average levels of sodium, causing the body to retain more fluids.
That excess fluid increases the volume of blood circulating in the blood vessels, raising blood pressure.
High blood pressure puts more strain on the heart, increasing the risk of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.
Excess growth hormone also signals the liver to produce more glucose, raising blood sugar and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Mr Kohn said when he was referred to the Cleveland Clinic for surgery, doctors told him: ‘If we don’t get this tumor out of your head, it’s going to kill you.’
Mr Kohn is pictured above after his tumor removal
But before surgery, he didn’t ask if he was going to survive or have any complications.
Instead, the first words out of his mouth were: ‘Can I still jump cars?’
In June 2023, Mr Kohn underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery, a minimally invasive surgery that involves running a thin tube through the nose and up to the pituitary gland, which sits just behind the bridge of the nose.
Doctors were able to fully remove the tumor. It took about three months for his body to start shrinking and for him to drop the excess weight.
Soon after, his blood pressure and glucose levels fell back in normal range.
Mr Kohn is now down to 220 pounds, his pre-growth weight, and his hands, feet, and head have gone back to normal.
However, he still suffers lingering effects from the tumor. In the next few months, he plans to undergo surgery to fix his jaw alignment, and he may need knee replacements due to the pressure on his joints.
Less than a year after surgery, Mr Kohn (pictured here in action) was back to stunt driving and even broke a record for longest jump
![Mr Kohn, pictured here with his grandson, said: 'I'm excited to watch [my grandson] grow. I can walk my daughter down the aisle. My wife and I can live a good live with each other'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/07/21/94906081-14365057-Mr_Kohn_pictured_here_with_his_grandson_said_I_m_excited_to_watc-a-21_1738963645800.jpg)
Mr Kohn, pictured here with his grandson, said: ‘I’m excited to watch [my grandson] grow. I can walk my daughter down the aisle. My wife and I can live a good live with each other’
Mr Kohn told this website he’s most looking forward to spending time with his family and getting back to jumping.
He said: ‘I’m excited to watch [my grandson] grow. I can walk my daughter down the aisle. My wife and I can live a good life with each other.’
Just 10 months after surgery, he was back to jumping his Dodge Charger in a packed stadium.
And in August 2024, he broke the record for longest jump at 217 feet.
He said: ‘People love those old, iconic TV shows and movies from the 70s and 80s, and I’m the only one on the face of the planet that brings back those iconic stunts that we all grew up with.
‘Because of what the doctors have done for me, I get to make other people’s dreams come true. It’s a great feeling that I was part of something that special in their lives, and I can only do that if I’m alive.’
