Britain’s Countess of Wessex visited St. Thomas Hospital yesterday (12.02.14).
The 49-year-old royal – who is married to Queen Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward – stopped by the DEBRA clinic, which treats patients with a rare condition that causes their skin to break and blister at the slightest touch, at the hospital in Westminster, London.
During the visit, Sophie – who is a patron of DEBRA – met patients and staff in the Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) unit, before being given a tour of the National EB Laboratory, which is the only lab in the UK that can diagnose all forms of the condition.
Henry George, 20, who was diagnosed with the condition when he was just a few days old, gave The Countess a bouquet of flowers upon her arrival.
He said: "It was great to meet The Countess, and brilliant that she is supporting DEBRA so they can continue their vital work.
"I am extremely grateful to the specialist EB nurses and the rest of the EB medical team for enabling me to live as normal a life as possible. Because of their expertise, they are helping me to achieve my goals, get on with life and look positively to the future."
Dr Jemma Mellerio, consultant dermatologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It’s been an honour to have Her Royal Highness visiting our clinic today. We hope we’ve given her a real insight into the pioneering work we are doing to help our patients.
"We’re very lucky to have such a strong relationship with DEBRA. Their funding enables us to carry out pioneering research and provide the best care to our patients."
Countess of Wessex visits St Thomas Hospital
