Teen with ‘worst’ debilitating condition raises £15,000 for Hatzola carers
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Teen with ‘worst’ debilitating condition raises £15,000 for Hatzola carers

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by Stephen Oryszczuk

A teenager confined to a hospital bed for two years with a debilitating condition has been thanked for using that time to make video appeals and raise £15,000 for those looking after him.

Motty David, a former Hasmonean student, has battled for seven years with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). In terms of the pain experienced, medics say it is the worst condition yet chronicled.

After suffering a major relapse in 2013, Motty decided to raise awareness of the condition through a video diary which was also used to raise money for Jewish ambulance service Hatzola.

“Four members of Hatzola took it upon themselves to be there for us 24/7,” he said. “For me it was the least I could do.”

The video montage shows how his life has been affected.

“The slightest vibration causes horrendous burning, stabbing pain which caused me to black out,” he says. “Imagine what transport to and from the hospital was like. Just starting the engine was unbearable, never mind the potholes. A single journey would mean sedation, a lot opiate, and several days’ recovery.”

The condition is triggered usually after an injury or trauma to a limb, whereby the pain is highly disproportionate to the initial injury, and in Motty’s case, it started with a broken ankle. As yet, there is no cure.

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