Real Life Vampire Can Only Go Out At Night Because Of Her Condition

#1 A Rare Skin Condition

A young woman has been forced to live indoors because of a rare condition that gives her aggressive skin cancer in sunlight. 23-year-old Andrea Monroy was born with a hereditary defect called xeroderma pigmentosum. This means that her body cannot repair damage from the sun's ultraviolet rays causing her extreme sensitivity to the sun and bright lights.

#2 Locked Inside

The illness makes it so that she cannot go outside in the daylight and even needs to protect herself from UV exposure at night. Monroy has already undergone over 25 surgeries to remove/reduce cancerous cells in her body. She's also partaking in ongoing treatment to target pre-cancerous cells.

#4 She Had Excess Freckles As A Child

Andrea was diagnosed when she was 5-years-old after she began to develop lots of freckles all over her body. The extremely rare condition started when Andrea was two but not diagnosed until later on when she became ill with severe seizures.

#4 Her House Is Dark And She Wears Lots Of Protective Clothing

To protect her skin her house was fitted with tinted windows, she was home-schooled and only went out at night. When Andrea leaves the house she covers up her entire body and wears a special hat to protect her face.

#5 Only 2,000 People Worldwide Have This Condition

The condition, which only affects about 2,000 people worldwide, means she could get cancer from sunlight. Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) is a life-altering genetic condition characterised by an extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays.

UV is in sunlight, most artificial lighting and even lightning. Unless patients with XP are protected from UV, their skin and eyes may be severely damaged and this can lead to cancer.

About 30 percent of people with XP also develop neurological abnormalities which can include hearing loss and loss of mobility. There is no cure for XP, but much can be done to prevent and treat some of the problems it causes.

These include protection from UV, including total daylight avoidance, specialised clothing and sunscreens. People with XP must also undergo frequent skin, eye and neurological examinations and have prompt removal of cancerous tissue.

#6 She Always Felt Different And Never Leaves Her House In Daylight

'In every single way I have always had a different life,' said Miss Monroy, from San Diego, California. 'I never went to school as it wasn't safe and my mom taught me to read and write. The house windows were tinted and are curtains were kept closed if I was in the room. That's pretty sad for someone living in the sunniest state there is'

#7 She Lives Each Day As It Comes

She said has learned to love her freckles, despite years of people picking on her appearance. 'It makes me feel like a better human,' she said.

'I thought I was the only one in the world with XP. I realised I wasn't and I met others that had same thing as me.'

She now writes her own blog about the condition and her experiences with her daily routine as someone with this rare disease.

"I live each day, day by day. I don't want to think about the future I just want people in general, to live and love life to fullest."

#8 She Makes The Most Out Of Every Day

Despite the hardships of living a "regular" life, Andrea says that she loves life and makes the most out of every single day the best way she can. She spends a lot of time reading, listening to music, and watching videos on YouTube.

"Life is hard but there is always a way to make the most of it. I try to stay positive and do a lot of household chores."

How would you feel if you were only able to go outside at night and never feel the warmth and glow of the sun?