I have small genitals, no sex drive and can't smell... meet the men who didn't go through puberty because of this little-known syndrome that affects thousands
While other boys his age were dealing with acne and mood swings, as a teenager, Neil Smith experienced none of this. For Neil, now 55 and a biomedical scientist from Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, never went through puberty.
He has Kallmann syndrome – a condition where puberty is delayed or absent, due to a problem with the release of sex hormones. Those affected have small genitals and no sex drive; they also have a reduced or total loss of smell.
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Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I was told by TWO hospitals that I had gallstones when I actually had stage four cancer... now I won't get to see my little girl grow up
A mother whose gallstones turned out to be stage-four cancer has blasted doctors for waiting five months to test a mass on her pancreas. When Kanisha Collins, 24, was diagnosed with pancreatitis at Royal Chesterfield Hospital in December, she didn't think to question their expert judgment. After all, they were in close contact with a team of specialists over at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, one of just four dedicated cancer centres in the UK. And the coalition of doctors persistently stuck to its guns, even after a second CT scan in February showed a persistent mass on her pancreas and a worsening blood clot. But then the pain got worse. Rushed to hospital just weeks after being told the mass was 'benign', Kanisha, who has a two-year-old daughter, was hit with the discovery of lesions on her liver and the news that staff would finally be performing a biopsy. On May 19, she was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer which had spread to the liver, after months of doctors insisting she was too young to be struck with the illness. A day after starting chemotherapy at Weston Park, Kanisha, whose father Dean has raised more than £4,000 for her family on GoFundMe, told MailOnline she blamed specialists at both hospitals for acting too slowly to spot her, now incurable, cancer. She told MailOnline: 'This was all because they wouldn't test the mass on my pancreas, because they didn't think somebody my age would have pancreatic cancer. 'I've been failed by both hospitals in a way, but I feel like my consultant could have done more at the time. 'The reason they didn't was because of my age. Unfortunately, when they told me [I had cancer] it was too late and incurable. 'Absolutely [I feel let down]. Cancer [diagnoses] should never [be based] off somebody's age. 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'The idea is, once they've got married, to go to the sit down meal. Then once we've done that, I'll take her back home so she can have a rest before coming back to spend a bit of time with the evening guests. 'She's going to have a break in between all that to recharge her batteries.' Kanisha's chemotherapy battle is in its early days, but her stoicism in the wake of her life being turned upside down has taken even her parents by surprise. 'Before all this, I was a fit and healthy person and now I can barely do day-to-day walking tasks, because I just get out of breath,' she said. 'I'm on chemo, I'm tired, so it's hard, but I suppose I've got to look for the positive side, that the chemo will shrink enough to give me many years down the line. 'We're all staying positive about it and hoping that treatment will shrink my tumours enough to give me a few years.' Her father added: 'She actually seems stronger than both me and her mum. She's got to be strong for herself and for her daughter and partner.' Dean reacted to Kanisha's diagnosis by setting up a Gofundme, drawing on his experience looking after his sister, who died with cancer, as well as the writing skills of his older daughter's boyfriend, to create an already-flying donation page. The fundraiser earned £4,000 in its first 24 hours, receiving more than 150 donations. Its aims are two-fold: to give Kanisha the opportunity to enjoy what time she has left with her daughter, and to help her soon-to-be husband in the tough times ahead. The Gofundme's soaring success has been a rare source of positivity for the mother, following an incredibly difficult five months. She said: 'It's just to give myself and my family a good holiday and to make those lasting memories. And to not have to worry about the financial side of things, so we can do things as a family. 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'So my aim now is to bring further awareness out there, with regards to cancer, because there's loads of people out there who have experienced it.' Dr Hal Spencer, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: 'We always strive to give the best care, and we are sorry to hear of Kanisha's experience. 'Throughout, her care has always been considered seriously, and we have consulted with regional specialist colleagues who were advising us on her care and management. 'We would encourage Kanisha and her family to contact us, and we will support them in a full review of her care in order that we can understand the decisions taken and the management advice given. 'This will help inform our internal reviews already underway.' here.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Katie Price gives update on son Harvey's course of Ozempic-style weight-loss jabs after revealing he now weighs almost 30st
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She explained that she set to perform at Portsmouth Pride this week and that Harvey was joining her on the trip. While Katie then added: 'Hopefully Harvey starts his Mounjaro this week, but we'll talk about that next week and I'll go through all of what's happening about that.' Mounjaro is the brand name for the drug tirzepatide, and has been hailed as the 'King Kong' of slimming jabs - more effective for shifting the pounds than similar drugs like Ozempic. In April, Katie said she was 'heartbroken' by Harvey's weight increase, as she explained how it had left him struggling to walk and at risk of a heart attack. She took to her Snapchat to explain how she wanted him to start Mounjaro as soon as possible, to improve his quality of life. She said: 'I'm so heartbroken and gutted that his weight is just going up. I just googled it in stones, 188kg is just a few kg of being 30 stone. 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Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes problems including constant urges to eat food, restricted growth and reduced muscle tone. Other potential issues include learning difficulties, lack of sexual development and behavioral problems such as tantrums or stubbornness. The rare condition, which affects one in every 15,000 children born in England, is caused by a defect on chromosome number 15 - and happens by chance. Because there is no cure, treatment aims to manage the symptoms – with parents of sufferers urged to get their children to stick to a healthy, balanced diet. Children with the syndrome can eat up to six times more than children of the same age – and still feel hungry. It was first described in 1956 by Swiss doctors A Prader, A Labhart and H Willi.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Rape victims can challenge dropped cases after sexsomnia fiasco
Victims of rape and serious sexual assaults will get the right to challenge prosecutors' decisions to drop their cases. Labour is to pilot a scheme in which rape victims can secure an independent review if prosecutors are planning to abandon their case because they believe there is insufficient evidence. Under the current system, criminal cases can be stopped at any point if a prosecutor decides there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. Under changes announced on Thursday, victims of rape or serious sexual abuse will be offered the right for a different independent prosecutor to review the evidence before any final decisions are made. If that prosecutor determines there is enough evidence, the case will continue. The move follows a campaign by Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, after her rape case was dropped amid claims that she could have had an episode of 'sexsomnia'. An 'important first step' Ms McCrossen-Nethercott received £35,000 in compensation and an apology from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for its decision to drop the case before the evidence had been tested in court. She contacted police in 2017 because she thought she had been raped while asleep. She said she had woken up half-naked, finding her necklace broken on the floor. But charges were dropped by the CPS days before a trial was scheduled to begin after lawyers for the alleged perpetrator claimed Ms McCrossen-Nethercott had sexsomnia – a medically recognised, but rare, sleep disorder that causes a person to engage in sexual acts while asleep. She welcomed the pilot scheme to be run in the West Midlands as an 'important first step'. 'It can't undo the harm already done to victims like me, but it's real, tangible progress, and I hope it marks the beginning of a fairer system, one where victims' voices are not just heard, but acted on,' said Ms McCrossen-Nethercott. Victims already have the right to challenge a decision not to charge suspects once it has been taken, but the pilot scheme will extend that right to before prosecutors decide to drop a case. 'Make Britain's streets safer' Lucy Rigby, Labour MP and Solicitor General, wrote in an article for The Telegraph: 'The existing scheme is already an important tool in delivering justice, but this new commitment from the CPS will extend that right, so that victims are further empowered to question decisions made in their cases, resulting in fewer cases falling through the cracks and more offenders brought to justice. 'Beginning on Friday, the pilot will become operational in the West Midlands. If it is a success, we will look to extend this across the country to support all victims of rape and serious sexual assaults. 'We know there is much to do to fix the justice system. But this is a vital step towards building the system that victims deserve and ultimately make Britain's streets safer.' Just one in 40 (2.6 per cent) rape offences resulted in a charge in the year ending March 2024, up from 2.1 per cent in the previous year, but a fraction of the 12 per cent charge rate in 2014. Labour has committed to halving violence against women and girls and will publish its strategy on how to achieve that this summer. The plan has inherited a series of initiatives by the last government and police, including an overhaul to focus investigations on perpetrators rather than testing the credibility of victims. Police chiefs have pledged to apply the same investigative and disruptive tactics to rapists as they do to organised crime bosses, where they are pursued by police even if victims withdraw their complaints. We can't leave victims to go on suffering Our broken criminal justice system is in dire need of repair, which is why our pilot scheme aims to empower victims of rape and sexual assault to question decisions made in their cases, writes Lucy Rigby KC MP. Too often, victims of violence against women and girls are let down by our criminal justice system, compounding what is already a traumatic experience. I have strong views on the reasons why. Chief among them: 14 years of governments whose approach was nothing short of negligent. This resulted in too few bobbies on the beat, overflowing prisons and a record backlog in our courts, leaving victims of very serious crimes waiting years to see perpetrators in court. In short, a broken criminal justice system in desperate need of repair. The impact on victims and public trust in the justice system was significant. A creaking criminal justice system undermines one of the basic principles fundamental to our democracy: the rule of law. That is to say the law applies to everyone equally and all must have access to justice. This happened despite the work of thousands of dedicated public servants to protect us all. I've met many of them – including the prosecutors from across the country that dedicate their careers to sifting through evidence, often in harrowing crimes, to build a case and pursue justice on behalf of victims. Empowering rape victims This Government has begun the difficult task of fixing our criminal justice system as part of the Plan for Change, in which we pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. To achieve this, we are putting domestic abuse specialists into 999 control rooms, introducing new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, doing more to effectively tackle spiking, stalking and coercive behaviour. That means better support in place for victims and giving them the confidence that specialists are helping them. These changes will also see more police on our streets, locking up abusers, but importantly – getting quicker justice and support for those suffering at the hands of perpetrators of these horrific crimes. As Solicitor General, I've heard heart-wrenching accounts of women's experience of the criminal justice system – sometimes lasting years – which have seriously impacted their mental health, wellbeing and relationships. We cannot let this go on, which is why we are ensuring that adult victims of rape and serious sexual offences will have access to a dedicated victim liaison officer, as well as pre-trial meetings, so that they feel more prepared for court. The right to question But we have to do more. In particular, it is vital that our criminal justice system further empowers victims to best navigate it. It was Prime Minister Keir Starmer who, as the director of public prosecutions, launched the Victims' Right to Review Scheme in 2013, to give victims and bereaved families the right to challenge decisions not to charge suspects or drop cases. Leading victims' rights voices, like Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, the Centre for Women's Justice, Dame Vera Baird and Claire Waxman OBE, the Victims' Commissioner, have recognised the success of this scheme and that is why we are extending it to better support more victims. A new pilot launched this week will give survivors of rape and serious sexual assault the right to have their case reviewed before CPS makes any final decisions. Currently, criminal cases can be stopped at any point if a prosecutor decides there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. For the first time, survivors of rape or serious sexual abuse will be offered the right to request a review by a different prosecutor before their case is dropped. Where a review finds that the initial decision was wrong, the case against the accused will continue. A system victims deserve The existing scheme is already an important tool in delivering justice, but this new commitment from the CPS will extend that right, so that victims are further empowered to question decisions made in their cases, resulting in fewer cases falling through the cracks and more offenders brought to justice. Beginning on Friday, the pilot will become operational in the West Midlands. If it is a success, we will look to extend this across the country to support all victims of rape and serious sexual assaults. We know there is much to do to fix the justice system. But this is a vital step towards building the system that victims deserve and ultimately make Britain's streets safer.
