A woman from Rochdale with an extremely rare genetic condition has spoken about the help she needs for daily activities that most people take for granted. Rachel Winnard has FOP (fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive) - which affects around one in two million people worldwide or 60-80 people in the UK.
Her condition has exacerbated over the years - and she can now no longer leave the house without her commode or nappies as she isn't able to go to the toilet without support. The 37-year-old, who has been using an electric wheelchair since lockdown, was wrongly diagnosed for years as a baby and child.
Her body formed benign lumps - wrongly thought to be fibromatosis - and as a result, she was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy when she was 18 months old. At the age of nine, she bumped her back on the frame of a garden swing, which saw another growth form.
