Woman’s psoriasis one of ‘worst cases’ docs have seen, scaly plaques cover 90% of body
A young mom has been forced to give up work due to the “unbearable pain” caused by her psoriasis.
Sabrina Speaks, 23, has scaly plaques covering 90 per cent of her body, after developing the same skin condition as Kim Kardashian.
And now Speaks is opening up about her battle with psoriasis in a bid to raise awareness of the “crippling autoimmune condition”.
In particular, the mother-of-two, from North Carolina, has admitted that her family and motherhood has saved her from complete depression.
“Psoriasis has affected my entire life. It is an autoimmune disorder. I want to make more people aware of that,” she said.
“Basically, it doesn’t allow my immune system to work in a way that it should.
“I produce skin cells way too quickly and I also have psoriatic arthritis – which is an arthritis that ties in with psoriasis in the most severe cases.
“The main side effects of my condition are fatigue, pain, swelling, itching, burning, depression and anxiety.
“I can’t work because of the pain it causes and also the reactions that I get from people seeing it.”
While psoriasis isn’t a rare condition, the severity of Speaks’ psoriasis is extreme – with docs saying she is one of the “worst cases” they have seen.
“A lot of people have it. It can be brought on by many things. Stress or even a simple cold can start your symptoms straight away,” she said.
“But a lot of people do not have it as severe as I do, where a lot of treatments don’t work.
“I am 90 percent or more covered in plaques. I’m clearing up a bit now I’m taking my injections, but prior to this, I was way more covered from head to toe.
“According to my doctor, I am one of the worst cases they’ve ever seen.
“The hardest part about living with it is how it affects me as a person, how it changes me.
“I’m unable to be the person I want to be. I want to be running around with my children and doing things in the world without getting stared at, or without feeling pain.
“Unfortunately, I just can’t.”
There is currently no cure for psoriasis, but Sabrina is having injections on a treatment plan to try and ease the pain and the number of plaques she has.
It all started out as just one spot on the back of her head – a spot that suddenly turned really itchy and into a crusty patch.
“It kept getting worse and worse. At first doctors said it was ringworm, but eventually, we found out it was psoriasis,” Speaks added.
In my teenage years, making friends was really hard. A lot of people were like ‘who’s that girl that has all that stuff on her skin’ and ‘why is she always tired?’ Just so many questions. I endured way too much bullying as a child and teenager.”
And as well as the physical pain, Sabrina has a tricky time when out in public and tries her best to cope with the stares and pointing.
“Adults are definitely more harsh than children. Children will come up and ask me about it. Whereas adults will just whisper, point, give you dirty looks and stares,” she said.
“They don’t bother to just ask. It’s really hurtful. I hope that with certain people reading and watching my story, they won’t be that person in the future. To not just me, but to anyone living with a disease or illness.”
Despite her crippling pain, Speaks has managed to find happiness in the shape of her husband and two daughters, Sophia and Madison.
“My babies are my life,” she said.
“If I’m anything in this world, I’m a mother. That’s what I am first and what I’ve always wanted to be.
“On a daily basis, they drive me bonkers. But they have also improved my condition.
“They make me happier, they take a lot of stress away too.
“The turning point in my life was definitely having my first daughter, Sophia. The moment I saw her, I knew I had to be more confident for her sake.
“Whether that meant me suffering or not.”
And Speaks’ husband, Daniel, 28, added: “I would describe Sabrina as a beautiful, loving mother and wife that would do anything for anybody.
“She’s got a heart of gold.
“When we first met, she told me about her condition. I was just like ‘you’re a really nice person and I want to get to you know you better’ – I didn’t mind it. We clicked right away.
“I try to take good care of her when she’s sick. She struggles a lot sometimes, I so want to make sure I’m there for her.”
Speaks is now focusing her attention on raising more awareness for psoriasis and those who live with similar conditions.
“It’s so important to raise awareness for this because there’s just not enough information out there,” she added.
“We’re tired, we’re exhausted, we’re in pain – it’s a lot to handle. I am proud of everything I am trying to do in my life now, despite my condition. I have a loving husband and two wonderful children, so what more could I want?”