Brave boy smiles through the excrutiating pain he endures every day as his skin FALLS OFF and blisters at slightest touch
Rhys Williams, 11, suffers recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, which increases his risk of developing skin cancer
Little Rhys Williams's smile masks the excruitiating pain he faces every single day.
A rare but severe condition has left the 11-year-old's skin so fragile that the slightest touch causes it to tear off or blister.
His fingers are now webbed and his hands are fused, and he's confined to a wheelchair because he can no longer straighten his legs due to his skin fusing behind his knees.
The cause of Rhys's agony is a rare condition called recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
The genetic condition increases the youngster's risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
His parents, who care for Rhys full-time and got married after he said it was on his bucket list to be at their wedding, have to change his bandages three times a day.
Mum Tanya Williams, 33, said: "His condition causes his skin to fall off or blister at the slightest touch.
"His fingers have webbed and his hands fused.
"He's very caring towards others and always puts his needs last. Rhys is always smiling no matter how much pain he is in.
His condition causes his skin to fall off or blister at the slightest touch. Rhys is always smiling no matter how much pain he is in
Tanya Williams
"He's also strong minded, he puts on a front when around friends and smiles even though deep down he's hurting.
"He saves it all for when he's home but even then he smiles."
Rhys, who has two sisters and a half-brother, recently started playing powerchair football and needs a special wheelchair to join in.
Tanya said up until her son was introduced to the game "he had nothing to look forward to".
Mrs Williams, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, said: "Since joining wheelchair football he has something to look forward to in life.
"He currently shares a chair so he is not getting the full benefit."
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In a bid to help Rhys follow his passion and keep the smile on his face, community group Biker Family Support are trying to raise £2,500 to buy him his own wheelchair, a Storm three Competition Power Chair.
The group of bikers, who help charitable causes, met Mrs Williams and went to watch Rhys play powered football.
Julie Ainsworth from the group, said: "When we went to watch Rhys play, after seeing the determination, enthusiasm, passion and out right joy on his face we wished to help.
WHAT IS EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA?
The rare skin condition affects around one in every 17,000 kids born in the UK every year.
There are currently around 5,000 people in the country living with the painful condition, according to the NHS.
Epidermolysis bullosa is a general term that describes a group of inherited skin conditions, where the skin becomes very fragile.
In people with EB, any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters.
There are three main types of the condition, and each describes the part of the skin affected.
Epidermolysis bullosa simplex, the form of the condition Blake suffers, is where blistering occurs in the upper layer of the skin – the epidermis.
This is the most common type of the condition, affecting 70 per cent of sufferers.
It also tends to be the more milder form of the condition.
EB is caused by faulty genes, in most cases inherited from one or both parents.
But sometimes the fault can spontaneouly happen.
There is currently no cure, so treatment aims to relieve the painful symptoms and prevent complications such as infection.
"We just want to give Rhys a Christmas to remember and get him well on his way to his own chair."
A crowdfunding page has been launched for Rhys' fund with £750 raised so far and further money collected at a fundraiser.
Mrs Williams, who married dad Mark, 49, last year, is also doing a head shave in January for her son's cause, alongside a group of friends.
To donate to Rhys's cause .
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