How a simple blister was the first sign this little girl, would become bedridden with one of the world’s most rare and painful diseases

A little girl’s world has been rocked after a blister on her foot developed during a family holiday turned out to be a horrific disorder.

Bella Macey, 10, has been fighting complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in hospital – as her family desperately seeks treatment overseas.

CRPS is a rare neurological disorder causes extreme discomfort and is known as one of the most painful incurable conditions in the world.
The debilitating condition has caused the young Melbourne girl to lose movement in her leg and experience excruciating pain for more than a month.
Her small infection first appeared while she was at the beach with her family during a holiday in Fiji.

But the blister soon became agonising and her entire leg starting to hurt.

Upon returning to their home in Melbourne, she was rushed to the emergency room at the Alfred for treatment.

Doctors conducted X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests but were unable to identify what was wrong.

Bella received strong antibiotics in the meantime, which proved to have little-to-no effect on relieving her pain.

After her original infection dissipated and the pain lingered on, Bella was diagnosed with the disorder.

CRPS usually affects just one arm or leg following an earlier injury, such as a fracture or sprain with no nerve damage, or nerve damage to a limb.

It’s unclear what exactly causes CRPS but it’s thought it could possibly be due to the nerves in the affected area becoming more sensitive, which may change the pain pathways between the limb and the brain.

Since her diagnosis, Bella is primarily bedridden and has lost movement in her leg. She sometimes requires a wheelchair to get around.

The pain in her leg is so severe that she has also developed hypersensitivity – meaning a simple touch can feel agonising.