Girl, 16, With Rapunzel Syndrome Dies After Eating Her Own Hair

A vibrant teenager tragically lost her life due to a rare medical condition known as Rapunzel Syndrome, which has prompted health experts to highlight the dangers of this lesser-known disorder.

To many, Rapunzel is simply a fairy tale princess with incredibly long hair locked away in a tower.

However, this character's name is also associated with a severe health condition that recently claimed the life of 16-year-old Jasmine Beever from Skegness, UK.

In 2017, Jasmine was rushed to the hospital after suddenly falling ill at college. 

Jasmine Beever died after suffering from Rapunzel Syndrome. Just Giving

Despite immediate life-saving efforts by medical staff upon her arrival, Jasmine unfortunately did not survive.

Curious about the sudden illness, doctors conducted an autopsy which revealed that Jasmine had been suffering from Rapunzel Syndrome.

This condition involves the formation of a large hairball, or trichobezoar, in the stomach that extends into the small intestine. 

Hair is particularly difficult to pass through the digestive tract and can accumulate in the stomach, eventually forming a mass that extends through the stomach into the intestines.

The autopsy showed that Jasmine's hairball had become infected, leading to the development of a stomach ulcer.

This ulcer ultimately burst, causing her vital organs to shut down tragically. 

What exactly is Rapunzel Syndrome?

As explained by Web MD, this rare disorder occurs when hair ingested over time forms a hairball in the stomach that's large enough to breach the stomach and extend into the small intestine.

The condition is named after fairytale character Rapunzel Disney

The matted hair can cause severe complications once it starts protruding through the stomach into the intestines.

In a 2017 interview with Healthline, Dr. Katharine Phillips, a professor of psychiatry, noted that Rapunzel Syndrome typically affects girls over the age of 12 and can be deadly due to the medical complications it causes.

Symptoms of the syndrome include severe stomach pain, bloating, significant weight loss, vomiting after eating, alopecia, and nausea.

Reflecting on Jasmine’s personality, Donna Marshall, the mother of Jasmine’s friend Billie Jo Ashwell, shared her memories: "Jasmine was amazing," she said.

"She was one of those kids where she would make a sad face in the room smile. She was so bubbly.

"She was friends with Billie and she would always shout across the road to me 'Donna are you okay?' and then she would ask if there was anything I wanted."

Donna told LincolnshireLive that she considered Jasmine a 'darling' and mentioned that her daughter had set up a Just Giving page to assist the family with medical expenses.

Jasmine’s parents, Michelle Shaw and David Beever, expressed their deep sorrow but also gratitude for the support they've received:

"We are extremely upset but we want to thank everybody for all they have done for the family."