Man Lives With 'Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of' That Makes Skin 'Fragile As Tissue'

Imagine if your skin was as weak or even more delicate than toilet paper.

That's the reality for Dean Clifford from Queensland, Australia, who has been living with a rare and extremely harsh skin condition known as Epidermolysis Bullosa.

This disease has been described as one of the worst imaginable. When Dean was just 18 months old, doctors informed his parents that he wouldn't live beyond two years.

If he somehow managed to survive that, he wouldn’t make it past the age of five.

However, Dean has defied all expectations and is now 44 years old, making him the oldest survivor of the most severe form of Epidermolysis Bullosa, which affects one in 50,000 people.

Living with this condition means that despite beating the odds, Dean endures chronic pain every day.

Dean Clifford has become an inspiration since defying doctors who gave him two years to live when he was just 18 months old. Instagram/@itsdeanclifford

His daily routine includes bandaging his extremely delicate skin to protect it.

Speaking to MailOnline about his condition and its impact on his life, Dean explained

"The way I describe it to people I meet is my skin is basically as strong as tissue paper or strong as butterfly wings.

“So the slightest little movement will create a blister or a tear in my skin that will become ulcerated and become a nightmare to deal with.

“It’s sort of equivalent to living with third-degree burns every single day."

Dean also reflected on his childhood and how he always felt different. "I always knew that I was very different.

“I knew by people in the community being scared to be around me, or when I’d go to the cities or go outside of my familiar environment the community would be scared to be around me.

“Kids to this day are still quite scared and concerned, which is fine, I can deal with kids and get them to understand pretty quickly, and I can deal with adults, and get adults to understand pretty quickly.

“If people want to get to know the person behind the skin condition then I’m more than happy to share my story."

Given his debilitating disease, one might expect Dean to take it easy and avoid any risks. But instead, he chooses to challenge his body and push it to its limits.

In the face of adversity, he has not only become a bodybuilder but also a motivational speaker.

Dean proudly stated, "There’s nobody that I am aware of that is lifting the kind of weights that I lift… and there’s not many people in the world, whether they’ve got EB or they have got a normal healthy body, that is able to train with me on a level or keep up with me."

Clifford has the most severe form of Epidermolysis Bullosa - a rare skin condition. Instagram/@itsdeanclifford

Remarkably, despite all the challenges life has thrown at him, Dean has become an inspiration to many around the globe.

He shared what motivates him, saying that his fitness is what drives him forward.

"The message I’m always trying to spread is basically to be true to yourself and find the thing that makes your life special."

So, what is Epidermolysis Bullosa?

This condition is an umbrella term for a group of rare genetic skin disorders.

These disorders cause the skin to be extremely fragile, meaning any kind of trauma to the skin can result in painful blisters.

The condition is caused by a mutation in the genes. The symptoms include:

• Skin that blisters easily
• Blisters on the hands and soles of the feet
• Thickened skin that may be scarred or change color over time
• Thickening of the skin and nails