Girl Allergic To Water Can't Cry Or Shower Without Breaking Out In Hives
A young girl is so allergic to water that she can't cry or shower without breaking out in painful hives.
Abigail Beck, from Tucson, Arizona, and suffers from Aquagenic Urticaria, which means her body is incredibly sensitive to water.
The 15-year-old, who was diagnosed last month, can't even drink water without being sick, sticking instead to energy drinks or pomegranate juice.
"My own tears cause a reaction where my face goes red and burns really badly," she said.
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"I cry like a normal person and it hurts. Tears are one of the worst parts of it because when you cry, your tears shouldn't burn your skin.
"It runs my life but I don't want it to. I throw up if I drink water, my chest hurts really bad and my hearts starts beating really fast."
She added: "I have to check labels but everything in this world has water in it. The last time I drank water was a year ago.
"I'm scared that if it gets out of control one day, no one will know what to do including myself."
Aquagenic urticaria develops rapidly after the skin comes in contact with water, no matter how hot or cold it is.
It most commonly affects women, with symptoms often starting around puberty.
Because her reactions are so serious, Abigail only showers once every couple of days and drinks just the tiniest amount of water.
She also has to take rehydration pills as well as antihistamines and steroids to tackle the reactions.
The teenager first started experiencing symptoms three years ago, but she was only able to get a proper diagnosis very recently.
Abigail recalled: "When it rained it hurt really badly, it felt like acid.
"I thought it was normal so I asked my mum if rain felt like acid to her when it rained and she said no.
"It took a long time to get an actual doctor that could help, I didn't want to seem crazy."
Now, she tries to avoid contact with water as much as she can and wears a 'jacket and three pairs of sweatpants' if she goes out in the rain.
She says she wants to raise awareness of the little-understood condition.
Abigail said: "It gets really frustrating. People ask me to explain how it works and I can but I can't explain why it happens because nobody knows or understands it."
Abigail's dad, Michael Beck, has praised her for how she has coped with her diagnosis.
The 53-year-old said: "She handles it really well. I, of course, hate to see my daughter in pain. I often wish I could take the pain for her. I feel hopeless. Like I want to cure it right now, but can't.
"I worry, but not completely. I do not think her allergy is so bad that water can kill her of course, but I worry about her overall health and we are looking at different things that can hydrate her to keep her healthy."
Dominic Smithers