Rare Genetic Condition That Turned This Woman Into A Real-Life ‘Human Barbie’

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Meet Amber Guzman who has a crippling genetic condition that she says makes her a real life Barbie doll.

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Amber Guzman, a native of California, who has a medical condition called muscular dystrophy.

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The 28-year-old has muscular dystrophy that progressively weakens and wastes the muscles.

The disease, for which there is currently no cure, means she has to be carried everywhere just like a doll.

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It also leaves her unable to swallow food, which causes her to have a tiny frame.

Because of her illness, she can't walk long distances and has to be carried like a real doll.

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Amber says it is the comparisons she gets to a Human Barbie that have enabled her to cope with her condition and earned her thousands of fans on social media.

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She said: A true living doll is what I am, not only in my looks but physically.

Just like a doll needs help to move everything on its body to get around, I am the same way.

Because of my muscular dystrophy, I always need to be picked up or set down in a seat just like a doll does.

And it also makes me look skinny, which a lot of people say is like a Barbie too.

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"I love being compared to a living doll. It is what I truly feel like I am now and I'm happy to be one. Being a doll has saved me."

Growing up, Amber's angelic face meant she's always been compared to a pretty doll.

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She added: My parents put me into modelling when I was very young as people always referred to my looks as doll-like.

Even when I walked around on the streets or in a shopping mall, people would stop and stare calling me a dolly girl.

I also loved playing with Barbies and my mum would buy me lots of different ones.

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At 18, Amber met her husband and moved in with him.

Shortly afterwards she started experiencing the first symptoms of muscular dystrophy and felt her arms and legs weakening.

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She said: "I was so happy with my life when I met my husband but I started to realize something was going on with my body.

It felt like I was wearing a weighted body suit all the time. My joints were weak and it felt like I had heavy weights on my arms and legs."

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I constantly needed help to move. I had to be picked up in order to get out of bed, seats and even the toilet.

Walking became difficult too. I walk with someone holding one arm and with a cane in the other hand.

I began going to the doctors and going through the long process of finding out what was the matter with me.

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Her condition continued to worsen and in November 2012, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy after undergoing a muscle biopsy.

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But she didn't lose hope. She began to upload videos of herself dressed in Barbie-like clothes to raise awareness on muscular dystrophy.

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The doctor told me what muscular dystrophy was and how few people, if any, survive long with it. I was scared.

"One day, suddenly something just snapped in me and I decided to change my life."

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I realised that my muscular dystrophy was turning me into a real living doll.

Being unable to move more and more as the days go by can drive anyone crazy and cause them to get frustrated with themselves.

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But when I started seeing myself as a living doll who needs to be picked up all the time, it helps me to not be so sad and upset.

I just see it as a transformation into the living doll. I loved Barbies so much as a child.

My muscular dystrophy also makes me look quite skinny which a lot of people say is dolly or Barbie-like.

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Amber decided to start showing herself off to the world and started to upload pictures and videos in Barbie outfits online.

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Within eight months of uploading her first video, Amber has gained almost 10,000 followers on social networks and she gets fan mail every week.

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She said: I began dressing in a Dolly style wearing wigs and contact lenses and started posting videos online.

I soon had fans writing to me telling me how they were inspired by me and how I was their role model. I have also gained two clothes sponsorship deals.

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I also use my videos to raise awareness of muscular dystrophy and show people with any illness that there is a life to live after a major diagnosis.

"I am the true living doll in every way possible. There's no one like me."

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Watch the video here: