Bella Mansfield, 18, from Plymouth suffers from lipoedema – a condition that leads to the abnormal build-up of fat in legs and arms causing constant pain.
Bella Mansfield and her mum Amanda(Image: SWNS/Handout )
A teenager living with a debilitating condition causing her legs to swell uncontrollably was allegedly advised by her GP – to “go to Slimming World.” Bella Mansfield, 18, has lipoedema – a condition characterised by the abnormal accumulation of fat in the legs and arms.
Despite maintaining regular exercise and a balanced diet, her legs persistently increase in size, causing her continual discomfort. For five years, the Year 13 pupil believed the discomfort in her legs stemmed from poor circulation.
Bella said her GP attributed her symptoms to excess body fat and suggested she attend Slimming World. However, her mum Amanda Mansfield, 42, a beauty therapy tutor, insisted her daughter be referred to a specialist.
Within 15 minutes, the specialist identified the problem – Bella was living with lipoedema. Bella, from Plymouth, who has a part-time role at Tesco Café, said: “I get stabbing pains all over my legs and I have constant pain especially in my lower legs.
“No one can touch them because – it is so painful. All year around I just wear jeans because I hate the idea of people seeing my legs. It is one of my worst nightmares going out in summer time – it is awful.
“I can’t really enjoy myself not because my legs are not aesthetically good, but because of the pain that I am in constantly.”
Bella Mansfield (Image: SWNS)
Bella first began observing changes to her legs when she reached puberty at 13-years-old. According to the NHS, the condition may stem from hormonal fluctuations in women during puberty, pregnancy, the menopause, or whilst taking contraceptive pills.
The NHS clarifies that the condition isn’t linked to being overweight, and individuals of a healthy weight can still develop it.
Amanda said: “Bella would complain to me about pains in her legs and she would say her legs would feel really heavy. I used to think it was just sluggish circulation so I would lift her legs, but it would still wake her up at night.
“She went to the doctors but they didn’t take it very seriously and put it down to poor circulation and possibly a bit of fluid in her legs. As the years have gone on we noticed that her body proportions are very off.
“The hip to waist ratio is very different. Her legs are big but she’s got these tiny feet and hands. On the top part of her body she’s a 10 and she’s a 16 on the lower part of her body.
“I just kept thinking maybe because she need to eat better and do more exercise.”
However, Bella is an avid swimmer and maintains a regular gym routine, so they decided to consult the GP again.
Amanda added: “The GP rolled up her trousers, said it is not anything sinister and that it is just where she holds her body fat. The GP said ‘have you tried Slimming World because I’d recommend Slimming World’.
“I didn’t think that was right and I said I want her to be referred. Reluctantly the GP made a referral to a clinic in Plymouth.
“At this point the pain would wake her up at night and she started to have restless legs. Within 15 mins of being in the clinic she was diagnosed with lipoedema.”
Bella Mansfield (Image: SWNS)
According to the NHS, lipoedema is characterised by an unusual accumulation of fat in the legs and occasionally the arms, which can cause discomfort and impact daily activities.
Amanda added: “It’s an inflammatory disease and the lipoedema fat cells will continue to multiply and that will mean she might struggle to walk.
“Bella will stay home and keep her legs constantly hidden in the summer. She wouldn’t come and sit by the pool because she wouldn’t allow anyone to see her legs.
“All I try to do is to rub the legs for her, and even the compression socks don’t make a big difference. She even stopped swimming because of it.
“All of the exercise and diet in the world is not going to make a difference. This is an inflammatory disease.”
Bella and Amanda began investigating the condition to explore potential solutions, and they soon came across water-assisted liposuction as an option.
However, they received the devastating news that this treatment isn’t available on the NHS, despite lipoedema affecting one in ten women.
Amanda explained that funding private surgery is placing considerable financial pressure on the family.
She added: “Because she has it in the whole of her legs surgery has to be done in three parts – lower legs, top of the thighs and the buttock.
“We found this world leading clinic in Salzburg in Austria that charges £6,500 per operation, but it will be £10,000 per trip.
Bella Mansfield (Image: SWNS)
“There was a clinic in Manchester but they were asking for £26k and I believe that wasn’t for all three areas and it wasn’t the water assisted liposuction.
“She’s have to have this, she 18 and it’s already affecting her quality of life. There’s nothing that the government can do to help us. I’m absolutely disgusted. I can’t get no help from anywhere and anyone.
“The government should be ashamed of themselves because one in 10 women are affected by this disease. These women are going to be told that they are overreacting and that they need to go on a diet.
“As women it feels as though we are being a little bit dismissed. If a men had any hormonal issues they would be given CRT no questions asked.
“Personally, I feel utterly let down by the NHS.”
Amanda has launched a fundraising appeal to raise sufficient funds for Bella’s surgical procedure, flights to and from Austria, and associated expenses for the journey.
Bella has aspirations to attend university in Exeter next academic year, where she intends to read Psychology. To donate to the GoFundMe page, please click here.
NHS Devon Integrated Care Board was contacted for comment.
