
What ACC expansion means for remaining Pac-12 schools without a home
With Cal, Stanford and SMU joining the ACC, what does this mean for the final two remaining Pac-12 holdovers in Oregon State and Washington State?
2023-09-01 21:45

Samuel Newey: British volunteer killed in Ukraine a 'selfless warrior'
The family of Samuel Newey says they have been left devastated and heartbroken by his death.
2023-09-01 21:24

The worst Champions League 'groups of death' ever
The toughest Champions League groups of death in the competition's history, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City frequently populating these fiendishly tricky matchups
2023-09-01 21:23

Woman bullied over skin blistering disorder writing books to stop other children ‘feeling like freaks’
A woman who was born with a rare inherited skin blistering disorder which caused her to get “bullied” and feel “like a freak” throughout her childhood and teenage years, as well as forcing her onto a soft food diet of “bananas and custard” for weeks at a time, now writes inclusive children’s books with a focus on disability to encourage “other children to grow up with confidence”. Vie Portland, a 52-year-old confidence coach, author and speaker from Winchester, was born with epidermolysis bullosa simplex generalised intermediate but was not formally diagnosed with the skin condition until she was 28. According to the NHS, epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare inherited skin disorder that causes the skin to become very fragile, and any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters. Vie is yet to find a treatment that helps her condition, and her feet are regularly covered with huge internal blisters which feel like she has “stones under (her) skin.” Her condition even means that she cannot eat “anything acidic or too peppery” and often spends weeks eating “just bananas and custard”. She has also developed thoracic outlet syndrome, chronic bursitis, and often has spasms, because of walking with a limp to try to ease the pain. Now, Vie writes inclusive children’s books to raise awareness about living with a disability, because she grew up “afraid that there was no one else like (her)”, and hopes to write a book about someone with her condition next. Vie told PA Real Life: “So it feels like I’ve got stones under my skin all the time on my feet and it doesn’t matter how much you try to explain that to someone people just don’t get it. “Even things like if I meet friends for a drink in a lovely pub garden – I’ll be in agony because of walking on gravel and it takes so much energy out of me. “I can’t eat anything acidic or too peppery – sometimes I have to eat just bananas and custard for weeks.” Vie was born with the skin condition, saying: “I was born with no skin on my bottom and had some skin missing on my left foot. “The charity that works with people that have EB wasn’t around then – I spoke to someone recently from Debra, the charity, and they said if you looked at all the people on a double-decker bus, you’d expect to find at least one person with psoriasis. “But, you’d have to wait for over 700 buses before you met someone with EB.” As a child, Vie regularly had huge blisters all over her feet and the back of her heels. She explained: “I remember wearing jelly shoes one summer, and heat and friction are two of my triggers. “Throughout the day, blisters grew around the rubber shoes and I had to have the pair of shoes cut off my feet – it was excruciating.” When Vie was a teenager, she was very self-conscious of her condition, she explained: “I was in constant pain, and I struggled with all shoes and walking anywhere. “We’re always told not to pop blisters, but when you have EB they tell you to pop them because they get so big. “I didn’t know that at the time and it was just so painful. “People were noticing how I walk and I was embarrassed to show my feet – I didn’t have a normal childhood because of this. “Even something as simple as opening a bottle makes several layers of skin come off and cause me to have raw skin all over my hands, I was told this was weird by other people.” Doctors were baffled by Vie’s condition, over the years, she was told she had different types of eczema and even that she was allergic to her own sweat. But, at age 28, she was diagnosed with EB by a dermatologist in London. She said: “I just grew up believing that it was my fault and I was afraid that there was no one else like me.” “It all just made sense. “They even took pictures of my feet for a medical journal because it was so rare.” After getting her diagnosis, Vie began researching the charity DEBRA, which specialises in EB. She said: “I started finding out that there were people like me – it was amazing, growing up, I was bullied and felt like a freak.” Since then, Vie has sadly not been able to find a treatment that helps her condition. “There’s no cure for EB but things have moved on a lot over the past 20 years,” she said. “We have special types of dressings and creams which can help alleviate the pain.” On top of this, because Vie has been walking “unusually” for most of her life, she has developed thoracic outlet syndrome, chronic bursitis, and often has spasms. Vie said: “It can be frustrating at times because it just feels like no one will ever understand what it is like. “For most people, blisters are a bit painful, but it’s all right, but for me, it’s one of the worst pains in the world.” Now, Vie is focussing on raising awareness about living with a disability, and has recently written two inclusive children’s books called ‘Where Are We Going?’ and ‘Who Am I?’. She said: “I want other children to grow up with confidence and not to feel like a freak like me. “Children aren’t born with prejudice and I think it’s really important to teach them about all of our amazing cultures and worlds. “In my books, I don’t explicitly say the character is disabled until the discussion questions at the end – I want the character to be accepted and not defined by their disability. “I think people have more in common with each other than things that are different, and that’s a beautiful thing. “I’m hoping to write a book about someone with my condition – that’s my next plan.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fraser Franks undergoing heart surgery – four years after ‘hidden’ condition cut short football career 4 viral TikTok make-up trends you’ll actually want to try Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: What are the warning signs that your child might have cancer?
2023-09-01 21:23

USMNT gossip: McKennie to stay, Cardoso to stay, Pefok joins Gladbach
It is transfer deadline day in Europe but the USMNT gossip is that the players linked with moves could be set to stay at their clubs.
2023-09-01 20:59

Robinhood to buy back Bankman-Fried's stake for $605.7 million from US govt
(Reuters) -Robinhood said on Friday it had entered into a share repurchase agreement with the United States Marshal Service(USMS) for
2023-09-01 20:51

Broadcom falls as forecast pales before Nvidia's blowout results
Broadcom shares fell 4.2% in premarket trading on Friday as the semiconductor maker's quarterly revenue forecast fell short
2023-09-01 20:17

US woman sets record for world's longest female mullet
Tami Manis is officially all business at the front and party in the back after her mullet, measuring 5 feet 8 inches (nearly 173 centimeters), was confirmed as the longest female one in the world.
2023-09-01 19:56

Futures rise ahead of August payrolls report
By Shristi Achar A and Amruta Khandekar (Reuters) -U.S. stock index futures were higher on Friday ahead of a keenly
2023-09-01 19:48

Aston Villa sign Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona
Aston Villa have completed the signing of Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet on loan until the end of the 2023/24 season.
2023-09-01 19:21

Roundup: Taylor Swift Bringing Eras Tour to Big Screen; Utah Trounces Florida; Barstool Sports Begins Layoffs
Taylor Swift is brining the Eras Tour to movie theaters, Utah dominated Florida, Barstool Sports begins mass layoffs and more in the Roundup.
2023-09-01 19:19

Hurricane Idalia survivors can request disaster relief, but it's not always easy to get
Hurricane Idalia is over, but the rebuilding effort has just begun. Residents in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas can access federal, state and local assistance, as well as aid from nonprofit and charitable groups, to help them contend with storm damage to their homes, vehicles and other property.
2023-09-01 19:17