Mandy Sellars
Encyclopedia
Mandy Sellars is a woman diagnosed as suffering from what is believed by some doctors to be Proteus syndrome
, a very rare condition thought to afflict only 120 people worldwide.
Doctors were unable to provide a diagnosis for many years, until some doctors decided on Proteus syndrome in May 2006, though Sellar's condition is atypical in many respects. The most famous person with Proteus syndrome may be Joseph Merrick
, the "Elephant Man". There is no known cure.
When she was born, doctors were unsure if she would survive very long. However, she was walking at about 18 months. When it was recommended to her mother June that the then seven-year-old have her legs amputated
, June refused in order to provide as normal a life as possible for her child.
At 19, Mandy Sellars moved out to live on her own. She obtained a B.Sc. in psychology from the University of Central Lancashire
, and succeeded in maintaining an independent lifestyle as an adult, with no live-in helpers. She gets around using crutches or a wheelchair, and has a specially modified hand-controlled car.
When she was 28, she suffered a deep vein thrombosis
, which left her paralyzed from the waist down for about six or eight weeks. Afterward, she had to learn to walk again. Three years later, she got a blood infection, her kidneys failed, and she contracted MRSA
.
Ultimately, it is expected that she will have to have her legs amputated. When the television documentary series Extraordinary People devoted an episode to her called "The Woman with Giant Legs" (2008), it paid for her trip to the United States to consult "renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. William Ertl and prosthetic whizz Kevin Carroll." After examining her, they gave her hope that she would be able to have a less drastic amputation than the one recommended by her doctors which would have severely curtailed her independence.
Her left leg had to be amputated above the knee in 2010.
Proteus syndrome
Proteus syndrome, also known as Wiedemann's syndrome , is a congenital disorder that causes skin overgrowth and atypical bone development, often accompanied by tumors over half the body....
, a very rare condition thought to afflict only 120 people worldwide.
Biography
She was born with abnormally large and misshapen legs and feet, which continued to grow at a disproportionate rate. In a November 2009 interview, she estimated that she weighed about 21 stone (294 lb or 133 kg): 6 stone (84 lb or 38 kg) for her upper body and the remainder in her legs and feet (210 lb or 95 kg).Doctors were unable to provide a diagnosis for many years, until some doctors decided on Proteus syndrome in May 2006, though Sellar's condition is atypical in many respects. The most famous person with Proteus syndrome may be Joseph Merrick
Joseph Merrick
Joseph Carey Merrick , sometimes incorrectly referred to as John Merrick, was an English man with severe deformities who was exhibited as a human curiosity named the Elephant Man. He became well known in London society after he went to live at the London Hospital...
, the "Elephant Man". There is no known cure.
When she was born, doctors were unsure if she would survive very long. However, she was walking at about 18 months. When it was recommended to her mother June that the then seven-year-old have her legs amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
, June refused in order to provide as normal a life as possible for her child.
At 19, Mandy Sellars moved out to live on her own. She obtained a B.Sc. in psychology from the University of Central Lancashire
University of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
, and succeeded in maintaining an independent lifestyle as an adult, with no live-in helpers. She gets around using crutches or a wheelchair, and has a specially modified hand-controlled car.
When she was 28, she suffered a deep vein thrombosis
Thrombosis
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot to prevent blood loss...
, which left her paralyzed from the waist down for about six or eight weeks. Afterward, she had to learn to walk again. Three years later, she got a blood infection, her kidneys failed, and she contracted MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It is also called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...
.
Ultimately, it is expected that she will have to have her legs amputated. When the television documentary series Extraordinary People devoted an episode to her called "The Woman with Giant Legs" (2008), it paid for her trip to the United States to consult "renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. William Ertl and prosthetic whizz Kevin Carroll." After examining her, they gave her hope that she would be able to have a less drastic amputation than the one recommended by her doctors which would have severely curtailed her independence.
Her left leg had to be amputated above the knee in 2010.
External links
- Official site
- Photo gallery of Sellars, Daily Mirror