Woman with giant arms and legs pleas for £19k

Woman with giant arms and legs pleas for £19k

A woman with giant arms and legs is in a race against time to fund an operation to cure her before she becomes too big to go under the knife.

Danielle Brown, 26, from Nuneaton, was forced to sit back and watch in horror as her limbs ballooned in size in front of her eyes.

Despite dieting and joining the gym, nothing helped to shift the weight - causing her to worry and seek medical advice.

After a year of struggling to shed the pounds, she was diagnosed with lipoedema - a rare condition that causes a build-up of fat.

Since then, her limbs have doubled in size. Without liposuction, which isn't available for sufferers on the NHS, the size 24 is expected to be wheelchair-bound in the next few months. 

Now, the Sainsbury's worker has to raise £19,000 to have the surgery, but she needs to raise the money before she piles on even more pounds.

Danielle Brown, 26, from Nuneaton, was forced to sit back and watch in horror as her limbs ballooned in size in front of her eyes due to a rare condition

Eating too much? 

Miss Brown said: 'At first I just thought my two stone weight gain was from eating too much so I started cutting down.

'In just two weeks I can gain half a stone, the weight gain is rapid and there's no way to slow it down.

'I was a healthy size 14 before any of this started but now I feel huge and have gone up five dress sizes.

'No diets worked and despite going to the gym, my weight continued to increase. As months passed, I started to think I was destined to become obese.'

Miss Brown was diagnosed with lipoedema a fter pushing for further tests when she began to put on weight. 

No treatment on the NHS 

The cause of the condition, which can be very painful, is unknown but there is often a family history in patients.

The only treatment known to work is called tumescent liposuction but this is not currently available on the NHS. 

She has since found a surgeon in the UK who is willing to operate on her. But her risk of death is higher due to her large amount of fat.

As a patient becomes bigger, the risk of death goes up, according to medical literature. 

After a year of struggling to shed the pounds, she was diagnosed with lipoedema - a rare condition that causes a build-up of fat

Miss Brown added: 'The only thing that will help is liposuction, I'm due to have just under 20 litres of fat drained from both legs and arms.

The only thing that will help is liposuction, I'm due to have just under 20 litres of fat drained from both legs and arms

'Without this surgery, I'll be unable to walk by the end of the year as my limbs will become too heavy to lift.'

Despite there being no cure for lipoedema, Miss Brown has been told liposuction will destroy all fatty tissue she currently has.

Uncomfortable 

She added: 'I constantly feel so uncomfortable in my own body that I can't wait for the surgery to take place.

'I had permanent bingo wings and felt so self conscious that I never wore any revealing clothes.

'It's painful, embarrassing and has caused my confidence to plummet. Although it will cost £19,000, it's a small price to pay for getting my life back on track.

Since then, her limbs have doubled in size. Without liposuction, which isn't available for sufferers on the NHS, the size 24 is expected to be wheelchair-bound in the next few months

The only treatment known to work is called tumescent liposuction but this is not currently available on the NHS (pictured straight after her diagnosis)

WHAT IS LIPOEDEMA?

Lipoedema is the abnormal build-up of fat cells in the legs, thighs and buttocks.

It causes the legs to become enlarged from the hips to the ankles but the feet are unaffected.

The fat often creates a ring of fatty tissue overlapping the top the feet.

The skin often feels cold and bruises easily.

It can be very painful and can cause pain in the knees.

Lipoedema occurs almost exclusively in women and tends to start during puberty or pregnancy.

The accumulation of fat tends to be worse in people who are obese but also affects people who are a healthy weight and dieting does not help.

The cause of the condition is unknown but there is often a family history in patients.

The only treatment known to work is called tumescent liposuction but this is not currently available on the NHS. 

Source: NHS Choices 

'I have provisionally booked the first operation for August but we need to raise the money first and there will be three surgeries in total.

'It's a race against time as the bigger I get, the more risky it becomes.'

Miss Brown had nev er heard of lipoedema before her diagnosis and is already struggling with the physical effects of the illness.

Needing help 

She added: 'Thankfully I have a really supportive partner, Robert Christie, 25, and he helps me in the morning.

'I often need help with getting up out if bed as I don't have the strength to pull my own body weight up.

'My arms and legs will swell up during the day and I hate knowing that people will just assume I'm overweight.

'I eat as healthily as I can but even if I ate no fatty foods at all, fat would still cling to my arms and legs.

'I try my best to stay positive as I know that with surgery that I can go back to wearing size 14 clothes.

'But at the moment it's ju st a waiting game and I'm just pinning all my hopes on my fundraising page getting me enough for the surgery.'

To help Miss Brown, you can donate on her JustGiving page. 

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