I'm Allergic To Myself | BORN DIFFERENT

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MEDICAL MYSTERY, Beth, experiences extreme allergic reactions to "pretty much everything" that comes into contact with her. Doctors have "never seen anything like" the 20-year-old's condition before, so have only been able to suggest a possible diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome. Beth can react to anything from her own emotions to the smell of food in the air - usually resulting in red, oozing hives covering her skin, which at their worst have left Beth "screaming" in pain. But her allergies can also be "life threatening" - just the smell of paprika or chilli can send Beth into anaphylactic shock and she keeps epipens in every room of the house just in case she has a severe reaction. To protect herself as much as possible, she has had to massively restrict her diet and remain at home most of the time, which has affected other aspects of her life too. When Beth met her partner Sasha, she assumed they would "go [their] separate ways" due to the impact it would have on Sasha's life - and Beth admits that she still struggles with feelings of guilt: "That's always in the back of my mind that I feel like I've made Sasha miss out on so much." But as time has gone by and Sasha has also willingly adopted the role of Beth's full-time carer it has become clear that she is going nowhere. To this day, she continues to reassure Beth that "I want to be by your side and I'm not going to leave just because of your health." The couple have now been together for two years and the relationship has instilled a newfound confidence in Beth: "She completely changed my life, she completely changed the way I saw my health and I saw my skin. She made me feel beautiful." And having recently taken to social media to share her story and advocate for other young people living with chronic conditions, Beth has turned her pain into purpose: "I hope that people take away from my story that you're perfectly imperfect the way you are - don't shy away."

Follow Beth:
  / bethtsangarides  
  / bethtsangarides  

Videographer: Max Thurlow
Producers: Kim Nguyen, Tom Buckman, Georgia Embling & Courtney Buabeng
Editor: Dalene Low

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