Broken back was caused by rare condition (From Western Telegraph)

Broken back was caused by rare condition

10:50am Saturday 16th March 2013 in News

A bone condition so rare it doesn’t even have a name left a Haverfordwest mother walking around with a broken back for more than eight months.

Brave Claire Williams, a mum of four, endured months of severe pain before being diagnosed with a broken back caused by a growth inside her bone, the like of which even specialist doctors had not come across before.

As she slowly recovers from major surgery, Claire is hoping to raise awareness of rare bone and back problems as well as offering support to anyone else in her situation.

Claire, aged 30, had not long been married when she bent to get something from the fridge and was locked in that position in excruciating pain in May 2011. She was diagnosed over the phone with muscle spasms.

“I was prescribed more and more pain killers and I’ve got a high pain threshold – I’ve given birth to three kids without pain relief,” said Claire.

Husband Ian and mum Catherine Jones, along with children Millie, 3, Sophia Jones, 11, Harry Jones, 10, and stepson Sion Williams, 13, all rallied round and have been no end of support for Claire who underwent surgery in Cardiff last year.

It was Claire’s family doctor who came to her rescue and she was finally sent for an MRI scan in February 2012 which found a fracture, likely to have happened when her back went the year before.

“They found a growth inside the vertebrae. When they removed that vertebra they asked if I had been in a car accident because of the damage that had been done.

“It got worse and worse until I couldn’t even get to the school. It also put a lot of emotional stress on us with all the worry.

“I want to spread awareness of my condition, it’s a one in a million condition but there are probably people out there who have got it and don’t know and if I can prevent one person going through what I went through, that is what I want to do,” added Claire.

Claire can be contacted by anyone with back issues on clairechellwilliams05@yahoo.co.uk.