Woman forced to wear facemask every time she leaves house as life-threatening condition means a single sneeze could kill her
She also has to take 100 tablets a day
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Your support makes all the difference.While catching a cold during winter seems inevitable for most us, for one woman it could prove deadly.
A former teacher, Hannah Evans is forced to wear a facemask every time she leaves the house and takes a staggering 100 tablets a day to combat three rare conditions.
One of the conditions - mass cell activation disorder (MCAD) – means that she is so vulnerable even being exposed to a single sneeze could kill her.
Evans also suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural tachycardia syndrome; all of which have left her battling for her life with pneumonia, which then turned into sepsis.
Now, the 27-year-old wears a facemask covered in diamantes whenever she needs to leave the house.
A move she says can sometimes draw negative comments from strangers who fear she has a contagious disease.
“For years, I was too embarrassed to wear a mask,” Evans explained.
“I've only ever had one negative comment from somebody saying I shouldn't be out if I've got germs that people can catch.
“But the mask is for my safety. You can't catch my condition.”
With Evans’ other conditions also causing constant pain, dizziness and fainting, she has to have up to 16 IV injections and take 16 different painkillers a day to cope with the symptoms.
Now, the newlywed of Neath, South Wales, is hoping to raise awareness of MCAD.
Urging people to be more hygienic, she explains that someone sneezing into their hands and then opening a door could land her in intensive care and have life-threatening consequences for someone with MCAD.
“Every year since I was a little girl I would end up in hospital. Hopefully this year will be different.”
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