It feels like I'm burning alive after ‘pregnancy rash' that makes me look like a corpse left me suicidal

Scottish Sun

16-07-2025

Rachel had to give birth via emergency C-section as she could barely move from the pain and swelling
'NO ESCAPE' It feels like I'm burning alive after 'pregnancy rash' that makes me look like a corpse left me suicidal
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A YOUNG MUM feels like she's 'burning alive' due to a "pregnancy rash" that erupted across her body - to the point she can't hold her baby son on her lap and has been left suicidal.
Rachel Bradford, 30, was 24 weeks pregnant in March 2024 when she noticed an 'extraordinarily itchy' rash breaking out over her skin, covering her body in red blotches.
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Rachel Bradford, 30, was 24 weeks pregnant when an itchy rash appeared on her body
Credit: PA Real Life
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Her symptoms worsened despite doctors telling her they'd subside after birth
Credit: PA Real Life
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Rachel's body feels like it's on fire and her skin blisters or turns black
Credit: PA Real Life
The mum, who lives in Torbay, Devon, with her husband of two years, Jack, 31, was told by doctors the rash was likely pregnancy-related and would go away when she gave birth.
But Rachel watched in horror when just two weeks later the skin all over her body turned a 'burning' red.
It 'blistered' in some spots and went black in others, making her look like 'a dead person'.
Rachel kept pushing for answers in hospital but she felt 'no-one was listening' and was 'sent away' several times.
Rachel gave birth to her son Michael via an emergency C-section in May 2024, as her legs were so swollen and painful she was unable to open them.
But her symptoms persisted, making her body feel like like it was 'constantly on fire'. It forced her to step back from her job as a support worker.
Feeling like there was "no escape" from her pain, the mum also began grappling with suicidal thoughts.
In February this year, Rachel was eventually diagnosed with erythromelalgia, a rare condition that causes burning pain, redness, hot skin, and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
'It feels like I'm burning alive, like my body is constantly on fire,' Rachel said.
'This condition has taken everything away from me, pregnancy and motherhood, my job, my mobility, my independence – I can't even play with my son.'
Ear piercing left my 'body on fire' I can't leave home & only eat cold food
Jack, an assistant store manager for an agricultural storage facility, added: 'There's always a part of Rachel's body which is constantly on fire and it doesn't go away.
'She can't escape it, from the moment she opens her eyes, it's the first thing she feels.'
Rachel had no major health issues before breaking out in the 'extraordinarily itchy' rash during her pregnancy.
'There was a point where Rachel would be sleeping with her nails in her shoulders, digging in so she didn't scratch herself,' Jack recalled.
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Rachel had no health issues before the rash
Credit: PA Real Life
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Now the pain is the first thing she notices when she wakes up
Credit: PA Real Life
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She was eventually diagnosed with erythromelalgia
Credit: PA Real Life
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It causes burning pain, redness and hot skin
Credit: PA Real Life
The couple visited their doctor, but Rachel said she was told it was likely a pregnancy-related symptom which would subside after she gave birth.
Two weeks later however, Rachel said her rash became 'really bad', prompting the couple to phone NHS 111 – and they were advised to seek help at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
'They told us it was nothing to worry about and we were sent away,' Jack said.
Rachel's rash then changed, turning red and 'boiling hot', and Jack recalled feeling the heat radiate from his wife's skin.
'It's thought it's related to her blood vessels – so they will either completely constrict and she will look like a dead person, or it will go the other way to the point her skin will blister,' Jack explained.
This started on Rachel's arms and legs, before it spread to her head, face, hands, neck, back, shoulders and ears.
Jack and Rachel claim they visited the A&E department at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital several times over the subsequent weeks and were left waiting for hours before being 'sent away'.
'We were still being told it could go after pregnancy, it was just sort of brushed off,' Jack said.
What is erythromelalgia?
Erythromelalgia is a rare condition that causes burning pain, redness and hot skin, mainly in the feet.
It can be constant or come and go, but treatment and avoiding triggers can help.
The main symptoms are: Burning pain, which often starts as itching
Redness – this can look different on brown or black skin
Warm or hot skin
Other symptoms include: Swelling
Sweating more than normal
The pain can either be constant or come and go.
When the pain comes, it might be called a flare-up.
A flare-up can come on gradually or suddenly, and last anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.
Your skin may feel cold after a flare-up and look blue or grey.
It's often not clear what causes erythromelalgia.
Sometimes it's caused by another condition or a faulty gene inherited from one of your parents.
At this stage, Rachel was heavily pregnant and wheelchair-bound as the condition left her with swollen limbs.
'Mentally, I was not right, I was suicidal,' Rachel said.
'I was praying the pain would stop – I couldn't take it anymore and I felt no one was listening to me, no one was taking me seriously.'
Rachel delivered her baby, Michael, via an emergency C-section at Torbay Hospital on May 31, 2024.
'I couldn't have a natural birth anyway because I couldn't open my legs,' Rachel said.
'They were so swollen from the condition and my mobility was almost nothing at that point.'
The couple later submitted a complaint to the maternity ward in Torbay Hospital, and the hospital apologised that 'Rachel's experience of her care was not a positive one'.
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The mum has struggled to get support and treatment for her condition, even after diagnosis
Credit: PA Real Life
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Rachel is has been left in so much pain that she can't play with little Michael or hold him on her lap
Credit: PA Real Life
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Jack said Rachel 'can't escape' from her symptoms
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Rachel also experiences uncontrollable spasms and joint pain
Credit: PA Real Life
'Absolutely horrendous'
It's not always clear what causes erythromelalgia, but sometimes another condition or a faulty gene inherited from a parent can be to blame, according to the NHS.
Erythromelalgia can be difficult to treat, and those with the condition may need to try different treatment combinations to find ones that work.
Rachel said she also suffers from uncontrollable spasms, brain fog, joint pain and loss of feeling in her extremities.
The couple claim they visited Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital for Rachel's care and pain management but were told by hospital staff to 'put some socks on' and that they 'can't do anything else' to help Rachel.
Rachel said the condition has weighed greatly on her mental health.
'If Michael sits on Rachel's lap for even just five minutes, it causes her thighs to flare up,' Jack said.
'Rachel is an amazing mum and to see her completely limited by something outside of her control, it's absolutely horrendous.'
The mum is now trying new medications in the hopes it will relieve her symptoms.
The couple have also launched a GoFundMe page, raising over £2,000 so far, to help them access scrambler therapy in Italy – a non-invasive treatment helping patients with chronic pain.
'If we have the money for another option, another treatment…I don't want Rachel to be hitting a point where she says we have nothing more to try,' Jack said.
You can visit Jack and Rachel's GoFundMe page here.