The Human Statue Who’s Turned To Stone | BORN DIFFERENT

HUMAN statue, Ashley Kurpiel, lives with an extremely rare condition that turns her muscles to bone – and she’s now completely immobile. Ashley, 37, was born with Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). Affecting less than 1,000 people worldwide, the condition slowly gets worse over time and Ashley’s case has become so severe, she has now lost control over her body. Despite the inevitable hardship this has caused, Ashley remains positive about her life so far and her future. Ashley told Barcroft TV: “I know, even as an adult, FOP can take what little mobility you have left. But I don’t dwell on that.” Ashley’s day to day life is heavily impacted, relying on 24/7 care. She said: “I have now lost all mobility in my body.” Ashley has required assistance throughout her life – even in her childhood years at school. But thankfully, she’s always had a loving group of close friends and family around her. None more so than her mother, Carol, who has been her main source of care. When Ashley was just three years old, she had a lump on her back and was misdiagnosed by doctors. This resulted in her right arm being amputated – something she has also had to learn to live with. In 2018, Ashley started a communal group for people who live with amputees to get together and discuss their experiences. She said: “We now have roughly 23 active members. I started this group because I grew up this way – amputee life is just my normal. But these people that go through it later in life need that support.” And Ashley is keen to continue spreading her positivity and raising awareness for FOP.