A 15-year-old girl, struggling with anxiety, found herself in a dire medical situation as she began experiencing difficulty keeping food down. Unbeknownst to her parents, Jackie Williams and Gary Jones, Melissa had been resorting to eating her own hair as a coping mechanism for her anxiety and experiences of bullying—a condition identified as Rapunzel Syndrome. Medical professionals made a shocking discovery upon examination: a clump of hair, equivalent in size to a rugby ball, lodged in her stomach. Urgent surgery was required to remove it, a process that involved cutting the mass into four pieces.
Now, two years later, Melissa’s hair is regrowing “beautifully,” and she’s making strides in her academic pursuits, preparing to take her GCSEs, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. Reflecting on the ordeal, Jackie, a teaching assistant, expressed her initial concerns, stating, “She was very withdrawn. She wasn’t socializing with friends, and then I noticed that her hair was getting shorter and shorter.”
Jackie added, “She had lost a lot of weight, and I thought she had an eating disorder at the start. She said ‘no mum, it just hurts when I eat. I feel like food is stuck in my throat.'” The severity of Melissa’s condition became apparent, prompting her parents to seek medical intervention. Jackie recounted, “If we hadn’t taken her when we did, she would not have made it. It was that serious. It’s nice to see how much she’s grown. It’s nice to see her with long hair.”
Concerns escalated when Melissa began complaining of pain, prompting her mother to seek medical attention. “She had been doing it for two to three years, but we had no idea until her health deteriorated,” Jackie noted. Melissa’s visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in September 2021 revealed not only the presence of a sizable lump in her stomach but also a diagnosis of trichotillomania, a condition characterized by compulsive hair-pulling.
Gary, Melissa’s father, recounted the discovery of peculiar hair clumps in her room, leading to a revelation from Melissa herself: she had been consuming her own hair. Following surgery at Alder Hey in October 2021, Melissa endured a three-week hospital stay due to complications from four infections. Now, with support from her school and specialized medical professionals, Melissa is learning to manage her worries through breathing techniques and herbal medication.
Jackie remarked on Melissa’s progress, stating, “She is slowly getting a lot better. Her hair has grown back beautifully. It’s just nice to see how far she’s come; now she’s looking forward to going to her prom, which I never thought I’d get her to go to. She still pulls her hair and sucks on it. She’ll always have it; it’s a case of managing it.”
Motivated by their experience, Melissa and her family are determined to raise awareness about Rapunzel Syndrome, hoping to aid others facing similar challenges. Recognized with the Liverpool Child of Courage award in November 2022, Melissa eagerly anticipates starting college in September, aspiring to pursue studies in health and social care with the goal of teaching young children in a nursery setting.
In sharing her story, Melissa offered words of encouragement to those facing similar struggles: “I hope anyone going through the same thing as me can see that my story shows many that you shouldn’t feel alone. What I would say is talk to someone you trust rather than hide and suffer in silence.”
