Woman with rare condition faces daily agony and shame as her legs weigh four stone EACH and are still growing
Vicki Hull, 29, has 30-inch thighs – the same circumference as a size 12 woman's waist – because she was born with an agonising medical condition that causes fatty tissue to collect around her lower body
A DESPERATE foster mum is fundraising for surgery to suck the fat out of her legs – which weigh four stone EACH and are still growing.
Vicki Hull, 29, has 30-inch thighs – the same circumference as a size 12 woman's waist – because she was born with an agonising medical condition that causes fatty tissue to collect around her lower body.
Since the age of 11, her 'tree trunk' legs have been ballooning - but doctors repeatedly told her she just needed to lose weight.
Vicki says that she tried to get answers nearly 20 times, but became so frustrated that she attempted to commit suicide when she was just 22.
It was then doctors finally took a closer look at what was happening to her and went on to diagnose her with lipoedema, also known as 'painful fat syndrome'.
But since then, Vicki's thighs – and 22-inch-wide calves – have continued to grow at a rapid pace.
Vicki, from Southampton, Hampshire, says that the condition is making her life a misery and that she must wear size 20 trousers – three sizes bigger than the size she fits on her torso.
She struggles to walk because of pain and her legs continuously rub together, causing her unbearable strain on her hips and knees.
5ft 1in Vicki, who has a six-year-old foster son, can no longer fit in the bath and seats often buckle under her 16 stone frame – half of which comes from the mass of her legs alone.
To make matters worse, the condition is generic and Vicki believes her mother, Jayne, 53, who suffers mildly, may have passed it onto her.
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This has led Vicki to make the heart-breaking decision not to have her own biological kids, because she “couldn't bear for them to suffer in the same way”.
Now, Vicki has been warned that without help she will eventually become completely immobile.
Her only hope of living a normal life is to have a special form of liposuction to remove the fatty tissue, put an end to the pain and prevent it from getting any worse.
However, it’s not available on the NHS and she must now raise the £20,000 needed for the private operation in Germany.
Vicki said: "I go to bed in pain and I wake up in pain. It is constant and it is absolutely devastating because it is only ever going to get worse.
"I struggle to get around and I hate taking my foster son swimming because people stare at me.
"I don't go to the cinema because I can't fit in the seats, I can't ride a bike and I can't run around in the park, so he misses out.
"It makes me very worried for the future and how it might affect my ability to care for him.
"I've decided never to have children of my own because I couldn't bear for them to suffer in the same way.
"That's heart-breaking to me as all I've ever wanted is to be a mummy.
"Doctors have said my tree-trunk legs will grow and grow and I will become immobile, eventually ending up in a wheelchair.
"I'm already at an advanced stage so it's just a matter of time and this surgery is my only option.
"But as the NHS view it as a cosmetic procedure - despite the agonising pain this causes me - I need to raise this money to get my life back."
When she was younger, doctors told Vicki she was just overweight, but even when she went on a diet and got a personal trainer her legs continued to grow.
Vicki said: "It got so bad. I wanted to chop my own legs off and I tried to end my life. I just wanted to be normal.
"My mother Jayne marched me down to the doctors and showed them my legs.
"The doctor took one look and said: 'oh my word'. It was the first time they'd ever even looked at them."
Vicki was referred to specialists who diagnosed her with lipoedema, which affects mainly women and causes an abnormal build-up of fat cells from the ankles to the waist.
She added: "The pain is horrendous and it is only getting worse.
"I get pins and needles, shooting pains, stabbing pains and because there is so much weight on my legs, it's affecting my knees, hips and joints.
"I have to build myself up to even leave the house because of cruel strangers who stare and make horrible comments.
"I've had girls in shops saying 'she's not going to wear that, is she?' and I've broken seats before, which is humiliating."
Over the past few years, Vicki’s condition has worsened dramatically, also spreading to her arms and waist – meaning she is just one stage away from becoming completely immobile.
Vicki’s only hope is to raise the £20,000 so she can undergo the corrective surgery.
Her dad Martin, 54, has said that he will pay for her flights and accommodation but her family and friends are now desperately trying to fundraise for the operation to prevent her becoming wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life.
So far, they’ve raised nearly £4,000 and Vicki, who has also had help from support group Lipoedema Ladies, said: "I've met some amazing people and I feel so lucky to have my family and friends. Without them, I know I wouldn't be here today."
Her Mum Jayne, a senior office clerk, added: "To see your daughter suffer like this has been absolutely devastating.
"The other day she called me up because she'd driven to the supermarket and she couldn't physically get out of the car because there wasn't the space. She said: 'Mum, I can't get out.'
"It broke my heart, but I won't stop because we've got to get this done for her. It will change her life."
To support Vicki visit