The woman who shrank almost 30 centimeters due to a rare disease

When British woman Caroline King, 63, went to the eye doctor with vision problems, she never imagined that it was one of the first symptoms of a potentially fatal liver disease.

To mark Rare Disease Day, King talks about his experience with granulomatous hepatitis to raise awareness of rare liver diseases and the impact they can have.

“Looking back, I still can’t believe what happened and that I’m still here.”he reflected.

Before receiving a liver transplant, her symptoms were so severe that she was forced to use a wheelchair after suffering extreme fatigue and mental confusionbut share your story to encourage others in similar situations to “never give up”.

King’s story began in 2018, while watching television at home, when his vision became “rara” and out of focus.

“I thought, ‘This is very, very strange.’”he said, and an eye doctor later diagnosed him with an inflammatory condition that affected part of the eye.

But in 2019, after his eyes and skin turned yellowisha liver biopsy revealed granulomatous hepatitis, a condition so rare that doctors say it could only one case occurs every 10 years.

It took six months for King to receive a transplant, during which a severe osteoporosis in the spine caused by your medication It made him drop from 1.63 meters to 1.37 meters tall.

Six years later, both his eyes and liver function are under control, and has regained some of his height until reaching 1.52 meters.

King told the BBC that his message is: “Never give up.”

“The human body is amazing”he added.

According to the British Liver Trust, a British liver disease charity, thousands of people in the UK suffer from rare liver conditions, many of which can take years to diagnose due to lack of awareness and limited research.

Pamela Healy, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said that while these diseases “they are less common”, can have an impact “transformer”.

“Too often, lack of awareness leads to delayed diagnosis and unequal access to specialized care”he added.

“We need greater understanding, earlier diagnosis and sustained investment in research to ensure that no person living with a rare liver disease is left behind.”held.

Rare Disease Day is celebrated annually on the last day of February to raise awareness about the 300 million people around the world who suffer from one of them.