Mother sheds two stone of SKIN a year due to rare condition that makes it as fragile as tissue paper - and her baby daughter has it too

A mother-of-two has revealed how she leaves a trail of skin behind her due to a rare condition that causes her to shed 14 times more skin than normal. Melanie Bradley suffers from the rare disorder Bullous Ichthyosis. In a cruel twist of fate her 21-month-old daughter Rebecca suffers from the same condition.

 

Melanie Bradley and her daughter Rebecca both suffer from a rare disorder that causes them to shed their skin far quicker than normal

Mrs Bradley, from Atherstone, Greater Manchester, said: 'My skin sheds rapidly, so overnight I can shed the equivalent of what a person with ‘ordinary’ skin sheds in two weeks. 'I'm covered in scales from head to toe. It's can be so thick to the point that I can barely move, but at the same time it's so delicate that the slightest knock can break the skin. It can be quite awkward, because you leave a trail of skin behind you. A lot of vacuuming goes on in my house.'

Medics gave Melanie a 50 per cent chance that her children might be born with Icthyosis. Although older sibling Daniel, three, was born free from the condition, his younger sister was not so lucky. Mrs Bradley said: 'As soon as Rebecca was born it was obvious she had it. I'd had an emergency C-section so didn't see her straight away, but I overheard the doctors discuss it and obviously I was devastated. When I first saw her, and how her skin looked I just felt numb. It was the last thing I wanted. But I knew that I had to cope and get over it - and who better to raise a child with Ichthyosis than a fellow sufferer. I worry for mums that haven't been through it themselves but Rebecca is already starting to understand her condition, which is great. She's already rubbing cream into herself, and she notices when she has lose skin. She'll just have to learn her limitations.'

 

When Mrs Bradley was born (left and as a child, right) doctors were baffled by her skin disorder. Now they can recognise Ichthyosis quickly

Advancements in medicine mean that doctors are able to recognise Ichthyosis as soon as possible. But when Melanie first began to suffer from the condition she was not so lucky. 'When I was born the doctors were totally baffled. The top layer of my skin had been stripped off during birth and the doctors had no clue what was going on. My skin was so thick - I couldn't bend my knees until I was about three, and I had to wear slippers to school because they were the only shoes that didn't hurt. Fortunately, things were different for Rebecca.'

The stay-at-home mother must follow a strict care routine to ensure that her and her daughter's skin is properly hydrated. 'Our skin is very susceptible to infection, so we have to be very clean, but we also have to bathe and shower a lot to get moisture into the skin,' she said. 'My daily routine starts with a bath or shower using emollients, which I do twice a day. It then takes a minimum of around 30 minutes just for my skin to dry off, then I have to liberally apply creams all over my body. I then have to let the creams soak into my skin for at least a further 20 minutes or so before I can get dressed. It takes up to two hours for me to just get ready in the morning and ready for bed at night. I then have to do the same for Rebecca.'

 

Close-ups of Melanie's skin: Is it not waterproof and very susceptible to infection

The 34-year-old says the blisters that come with the Ichthyosis are the most painful part of the condition. 'The blisters can appear anywhere and be of any size. I once got one from my elbow to my wrist - it was awful. They make getting around very difficult, and antibiotics and dressings are always needed when you get them. During my childhood Mum had to burst the blisters herself using sterile needles. Even now I sometimes have to do the same.'

 

Melanie with her husband Vincent, son Daniel and daughter Rebecca: I just want people to know that, even though it's difficult to live with, you can cope

A further bizarre symptom of Ichthyosis is that the skin is not waterproof. 'We lack a specific protein, so the the skin absorbs water. It leaves the skin white in colour and very soggy.' Mrs Bradley now runs the Friends of Ichthyosis website and charity, which has been successful in giving advice and support for fellow sufferers. The mother added: 'I just want people to know that, even though it's difficult to live with, you can cope.' 'I never thought I'd marry or have children with skin like I do, but I have a wonderful husband, Vincent, 30, and two beautiful children. I am living proof that anything is possible, and there is still so much more I’ve yet to achieve. There are lots of people in this world who are far worse off than myself.'

The skin condition can cause painful blisters

Bullous Ichthyosis affects less than 1 in 100,000 people. Hermoine Lawson, of The British Skin Foundation, said: 'Bullous ichthyosis, is a rare form of inherited ichthyosis. At birth the baby's skin seems to be fragile and may show blisters. 'Skin infections are quite common and can lead to a characteristic odour. There may be a reduction in sweating in childhood, which improves later in life. It is transmitted as an autosomal dominant disorder, which means that one of the parents may be affected. However, in at least half of affected children, neither parent is affected; therefore the child has developed a new gene fault while growing in the womb.' 

 Source: Daily Mail UK

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