Influencer with rare illness goes from wheelchair to pole dancing

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A British woman with a rare illness that left her confined to a wheelchair as a teenager has now become a pole dancer and personal trainer — defying all odds and fulfilling her long-held dreams.

Mercedes Valentine, 21, was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome when she was 15 years old. The condition — which affects one in every 5,000 people — causes complications to connective tissues throughout the body, including skin, bones and blood vessels.

Valentine’s case was particularly severe, with her bones dislocating on a daily basis.

During her final year in high school, the teen was so weak that she was left bedridden by the illness and was forced to use a wheelchair if she ever needed to leave her room.

“Being bed-bound and just unable to do anything left me really depressed,” Valentine told Jam Press. “I couldn’t even do the most basic things, like hug my mom. Every time she did, it would dislocate my shoulder. I remember her crying about not being able to touch me. It was heartbreaking.”

Doctors ordered Valentine to undergo physical therapy multiple times per week in a desperate bid to strengthen her muscles so that she could relearn how to walk.

With the help of a therapist, the determined Brit relearned how to sit up straight, rewalk through water-training and stop her fingers from dislocating by continuously squeezing things.

As soon as she was able to walk on her own, Valentine set her sights on becoming a pole dancer — a goal that seemed completely out of reach.

But the teen soon hit the gym, telling Jam Press: “I loved doing upper body workouts and found I progressed really quickly. I was honestly just enjoying the fact my body was starting to work like a normal human body, and it made me really happy.”

At the same time, Valentine launched an Instagram page to show off her progress and, within weeks, her posts began going viral. She has now topped a whopping 134,000 followers. The beauty even started her own OnlyFans account for admirers looking to see more.

In addition to her regular gym workouts, Valentine decided to enroll at a university. She juggled her studies with her strict fitness regimen, eventually graduating with a degree in neuroscience last year.

At the same time, Valentine had become so fit and strong that she undertook a personal training course and passed with flying colors.

Now, the plucky Brit is fulfilling her pole-dancing dreams.

Valentine shares saucy snaps with her Instagram fans showing off her pole prowess, which requires incredible strength and flexibility.

For her thirsty followers, it may be hard to imagine that the ultrafit beauty was bed-bound just a few short years ago.

Still, Valentine fears her Ehlers-Danlos syndrome could worsen once again — anxiety that forces her to make the most of every day.

“I’m still scared about my condition. I could be in a wheelchair by the time I’m 30,” she stated. “It’s always in the back of my mind that I have a time limit with it all, but it’s also what drives me.”

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