Andrea Monroy has a rare disease that forced her indoors all her life
A 23-year-old woman born with a rare skin condition who has been forced to live indoors all her life could die if she steps outside. Andrea Monroy suffers from a rare condition called xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) which gives her aggressive skin cancer in sunlight.
Since she was a child Andrea had an unusual amount of freckles and she was diagnosed with XP at the tender age of five. To protect her skin, Andrea was home-schooled and only goes out at night.
Andrea Monroy lived her life as a happy child
Andrea, who lives in San Diego, US, said: "I was about two years old when I started developing freckles – a lot of freckles.
"In every single way I have always had a different life. I never went to school as it wasn't safe and my mum taught me to read and write.
"The house windows were tinted and are curtains were kept closed if I was in the room. I usually don't go out much on the day. Everything I do is at night.”
When Andrea does rarely leave the house, she has to cover every patch of her skin and wear a special hat to protect her face.
"When I go out, the sun must not touch my skin,” she explained. “I wear a hat that has a special plastic to protect me from the sun, not completely but it does help.
"And I also wear gloves, the material is special to protect me from the sun. It can be very hard but I cover all of my body by wearing jeans, boots, and a jacket," she added.
Andrea's skin condition has made her live all her life indoors
Andrea in a bid to survive the hereditary condition has undergone a staggering 25 surgeries to remove cancerous cells and has ongoing treatment to target pre-cancerous cells.
If her life with XP wasn’t difficult enough, Andrea has also had to suffer cruel taunts from bullies who pick on her appearance.
She added: "There is still some bullying now but it was worse when I was young.
"Now it is still there, but it doesn't affect me anymore.
"I love my freckles and my scars, I've learnt to love myself. I wish the world was more open.”
Because she can’t go outside, Andrea spends her time reading, painting and taking photos. She also writes about her experiences on her website and YouTube channel NightLensBlog to encourage other people facing challenges.
She said: "It makes me feel like a better human.
"I thought I was the only one in the world with XP. I realised I wasn't and I met others that had same thing as me.
"I live each day, day by day. I don't want to think about the future I just want people in general to live and love life to fullest.
"Life is hard but there is always a way to make the most of it."