When Kate Liberty was in Year 13 studying for her A-Levels, she started experiencing "lightning-like" pains that began in her lower back and shot down her legs. Despite initially brushing them off as nothing serious, she decided to see a doctor when they began occurring every single day.
A series of blood tests at her GP surgery revealed that she had raised inflammation levels and the decision was made to refer her for exploratory scans at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant. Then, at the age of 18, Kate was given the devastating news that she had a rare condition known as ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis which leads to the spine fusing together.
"It was initially quite a shock, but I was lucky to be diagnosed within six months of experiencing symptoms. I know it can take many years for some people to receive their diagnosis," she said. "I had been going through an extremely tough time with my home life and studying for my A-Levels, and the diagnosis was another added stress. At first, I felt very alone and my family and friends didn't understand what I was going through."
