‘Football was my life, it was all I knew – now I’ve been left disabled’

Stacci Williamson played for Rangers and represented Scotland at international level.

However, her dreams of playing football as a career were dashed after she was diagnosed with EhlersDanlos syndromes (EDS), a group of rare inherited conditions which affect connective tissue.

In Stacci’s case, her connective tissue and muscles are so weak that her shoulders were dislocating between two and 10 times every day.

The condition is worsened by the fact that Stacci also suffers from dystonia — a movement disorder in which a person’s muscles contract uncontrollably. The 26-year-old, who comes from the Polepark area of the city, today spoke of the debilitating condition in the hope of raising awareness of the illness. She said: “I had my first dislocation when I was 18. “It was my left shoulder and it has just become worse and worse since then. “I was up at the hospital with a dislocation every two days — it could happen between two and 10 times every day. Stacci with former Rangers star Madjid Bougherra.

“Football was my life up to that point. I was playing for Rangers and Scotland and I was also going to college and studying sports coaching — it was all I knew.

“To go from that to now, where I am totally disabled — there isn’t really a word to describe the devastation.”

Stacci has had both her shoulders fused and is due to have the same procedure carried out on her hips.

She said the condition worsened when she became pregnant with her daughter Terri-Jo, who is now two years old.

“It was only when I was pregnant they diagnosed me with EDS — that was when it got really bad,” Stacci said.

“My body couldn’t cope with the extra weight.

“Then when they opened me up, all of my stomach muscles were destroyed.

“This year I was in hospital every day in January and February.

“It is extremely painful — I can’t walk or do anything. It will only get worse.

“At some point it will start having an impact on my lungs and my heart and I will have to wear an oxygen mask.

“It is extremely scary, not only for me but also for my daughter.

“I don’t want her to grow up with a mum who can’t do anything.”

Stacci was recently visited by local charity campaigner Charlie Kean, who has given her a mobility scooter which is enabling her to get out and about.

She said: “It was brilliant of him – he has basically saved my life.

“There is no way that I could have got the money together to buy myself one.”

A DUNDEE woman today told of the “nightmare” genetic condition which cost her a career in football and left her virtually housebound.

Stacci played for Rangers and represented Scotland internationally.