publishedJuly 5, 2022 at 10:05 p.m
Natasha Coates suffers from a rare immunological disorder. Strong emotions trigger strong allergy symptoms in her. “I feel like a ticking time bomb,” says the Briton.
Over the course of her life, the woman was hospitalized 500 times.
Instagram/natashacoatesgb
Her allergic reactions are so dangerous that by the time she was 20, Coates was planning her own funeral.
Instagram/natashacoatesgb
Nottingham’s Natasha Coates might die from a laugh – literally. The 27-year-old British woman suffers from a rare disease: Coates is allergic to strong emotions – “sweating, laughing or crying or being stressed might kill me,” the woman explains to the British newspaper “The Mirror».
Over the course of her life, the woman was hospitalized 500 times. Her allergic reactions are so dangerous that by the time she was 20, Coates was planning her own funeral. “I feel like a ticking time bomb,” she says.
What will be your last allergic reaction?
In a Tiktok video, Coates shares her harrowing story. Although her parents and closest friends have been trained on her illness, it is “scary for her family because they wonder what my last reaction will be,” says Coates.
The woman has mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a rare immunological disorder in which a person “experiences repeated severe allergy symptoms that affect multiple organs,” according to the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. “In MCAS, the mast cells erroneously and excessively release chemicals, leading to symptoms in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart, respiratory tract and neurological system,” say experts from the US research center Genetic and Rare Diseases information center.
No body sprays, cleaning products and scented candles
Natascha Coates recalls an incident where she almost died laughing. “We were having a great time when my tongue and throat started to swell. A friend called an ambulance while another helped me use my adrenaline machine to keep me from choking,” Coates told The Mirror.
According to the Brit, emotions are not the only trigger of an allergic reaction: “I’m also allergic to body sprays, detergents and scented candles. Eating is still a bit like Russian roulette. A food that is okay today may cause an allergic reaction tomorrow,” says Coates.
Talented gymnast
However, the illness might not prevent her from competing in gymnastics. Natasha Coates has won over 20 titles and over 30 medals at the British Disabled Championships. “Gymnastics saved my life, not only because it kept me physically fit, but also mentally healthy.”
“The chemicals that are released in my brain when I exercise make me not really feel my elbows or my knees,” Coates explained on TikTok. Despite the risk of injury, the 27-year-old continues to compete: “The only people who tell me to stop gymnastics are those who don’t understand me. It gives me so much more than it takes away from me. The allergic reactions will happen anyway, even if I’m sitting at home doing nothing, so I might as well be outside and living my life.”
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