SISTERS BOTH HAVE 1 IN 3.5M DISEASE THAT IS TURNING THEM TO CRYSTAL

Meet the sisters who have both been diagnosed with a one in 3.5-million condition which is slowly turning their bodies to crystal. Three-year-old Emily and her sister Poppy-Mae, 22 months, are among just 2,000 people in the world who have been diagnosed with the devastating disease cystinosis. The incurable condition is a genetic disorder that causes a build-up of the amino-acid cystine in the cells of the body. Over time these compounds crystallise in the cells, forming in the kidneys, the eyes, the thyroid gland and the liver. Without treatment, children with cystinosis are likely to experience complete kidney failure by about age ten. In the past, it was rare for people with cystinosis to survive into adulthood. But while the sisters will most certainly both face kidney transplants in later life, the brave tots are facing their uncertain future together. Mum Jessica Kemp, 25, from Leeds, said: "Basically their bodies are slowly being taken over by the crystals which build up in their cells. "Children with cystinosis don't have the best life expectancies but at least they each know what the other one is going through and they will always have someone around to look after them. "When Poppy-Mae was also diagnosed it was devastating, but now I'm glad in a way that they have each other for comfort."

Other great stories
N-ICE DAY FOR A CLIMB

CLINGING onto nothing but ice, this brave climber reaches heights of 1000 FEET as he scales frozen solid waterfalls .

COUPLE CELEBRATE THEIR 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AND RECEIVE SPECIAL CARD FROM NEWLY CROWNED KING CHARLES

A couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last week and have received a special card from newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla .

MESMERISING FIELD PATTERNS

FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .

TAXIDERMY ART BOOK

A KITTEN'S teaparty and rat's playing dominoes are the bizarre creations by one of Britain's great eccentrics pictured in an incredible new book .

BRITAIN'S LOST MILITARY HOSPITAL

WELCOME to all that remains of Britain's once state-of-the-art military hospital where plastic surgery was pioneered for injured WW1 troops who survived the SOMME .

THE LITTLE MER-WIFE: DISNEY-THEMED WEDDING CREATES A SPLASH

It’s the must-have for any true Disney fan: a Little Mermaid themed wedding .

EVIL MONSTER KILLED MY DAUGHTER OVER SECRET ABORTION

The mother of a young woman stabbed 26 times by her ex-partner for having a secret abortion has told how her daughter was cruelly betrayed by her own social worker .

I LIKE MY SALMON ROAR!

A BROWN bear wades through waters in Alaska and waits for his lunch .

ADORABLE BABY ORANGUTAN PLAYS WITH MUM

TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .

I LOST 10ST AFTER MY SON DREW ME AS A BLOB

A 20st mum-of-four who was dangerously obese has lost half her body weight after her son drew her as a BLOB at school .

HYPER-REALISTIC DINNER IS ACTUALLY DESSERT

From a platter of finger licking chicken wings to a bowl of Chinese noodle soup, these foodie snaps are enough to make your savoury saliva glands drool .

FIRST FEMALE JACKASS

FROM KISSING an alligator on the nose to walking over broken glass, this fearless daredevil is a real life female JACKASS .