Kelly Fidoe-White has spent her entire life suffering from Trimethylaminuria, also known as 'fish odour syndrome'. Photo / 123rf
A woman who constantly smells like fish has to work night shifts after her colleagues complained she was too pungent.
Kelly Fidoe-White has spent her entire life suffering from Trimethylaminuria - a disorder more commonly known as 'fish odour syndrome', the Daily Mail reports.
Describing her own smell as 'fishy-oniony', it caused the 36-year-old to endure years of bullying from cruel schoolchildren and led to her severe anxiety.
At one stage, she was having four showers a day, changed her uniform twice and used whole cans of deodorant to try and mask the smell. However, none of the methods worked.
But after the radiographer, who works at the Royal Oldham Hospital, received numerous complaints about her odour, she decided to change her hours to limit the amount of people she was exposed to.
Her husband, Michael, 45, has become used to her unusual smell - despite it having affected him in the 16 years he has known her.
He said: "Kelly's smell has sometimes affected me in a negative manner but I haven't said anything to Kelly. I've just kept it to myself.
"When we were living together at the start I did notice it. But it wasn't straight away when we first started seeing each other - it was never a problem. I don't believe she tried to hide it either.
"Kelly wasn't that confident when we first met - and I think the best way of me helping her with the condition is to just be supportive about the condition.
"If that was me living with the condition, I think I would struggle to do as much as Kelly does."
Mrs Fidoe-White added: "Michael has helped me to cope by making me see the funny side of the condition.
"I am sure he won't mind me saying this, but he produces his own smell anyway!"
Her condition means her body is unable to break down certain compounds found in foods that contain a substance called choline.
This results in the body disposing these compounds in a person's sweat, breath and urine instead - emitting the most pungent of smells that she cannot detect.
Mrs Fidoe-White, from Oldham, began seeing a doctor in her late teens, but no-one was able to pinpoint what she was suffering from.
After researching her symptoms and watching documentaries, she pushed experts for an answer and was diagnosed with the condition in 2015.
But she still doesn't know whether it was passed to her genetically or she developed it during her later youth.
Mrs Fidoe-White said: "There was more than one occasion where I would say: 'I've had fish paste sandwiches for my lunch,' when kids would say 'you smell like fish'.
"That was difficult to deal with as a teenager."
She added: "I was spending a stupid amount of time in the shower just before my diagnosis.
"Using red hot water, scrubbing until my skin was bright red and it was just too stressful."
Her mother, Sandra Fidoe, added: "The fact that she was bullied about it made it ten times worse for her and certainly for me. It bothered me."
Learning more about her condition led to her discovering that the copious amount of scented deodorants she was using and the relentless showering was actually making her skin react, which caused her odour to be stronger.
Now, she uses a sensitive body wash for her skin and takes regular medication to enhance her body's ability to break down choline.
She added: 'There is no magic pill that you can take to make it better, I personally take a cocktail of medications.
"One of the things they [the doctors] turn around and say to you is: 'If it smells going in, it's going to smell going out'. So things like fish and seafood are major triggers."
Since working night shifts, she has recently been more open and honest about her condition with her closest work colleagues.
Faysal Bashir works alongside Kelly as a CT/MR radiographer. He said: "You could trace Kelly's smell up the corridor. It's quite a strong, distinct smell you get from Kelly.
"When Kelly told me about her condition I didn't take it in for some reason and so I have always called it "fishiyatitus".
"I have had many complaints about Kelly's smell to me and from a variety of staff in the department. It's hard when you get these complaints as Kelly is a good friend.
'But working with Kelly for two years as my night buddy means we have a good communication where I could tell her to go and freshen up.'
Asha Feroz, a diagnostic radiographer who also works with her, said: 'Certain people do make comments.
"It was upsetting how people were dealing with it and at that point, Kelly wasn't herself.
"I have got used to the smell. So it doesn't affect my work at all."
As much as her friends and family have helped her through the hardships she has faced in life, it was the final diagnosis she received that allowed her to start accepting the condition with a sense of closure.
And now she feels confident enough to raise awareness and speak about her condition in the hope that she can destigmatise it and people can tell her what is working to calm the smell.
Mrs Fidoe-White said: 'From watching documentaries, things to started to fall into place and it sounded like it could be me when someone said it's not just a fish odour.
"And ultimately I ended up being tested and it came back positive.
"Besides the smell itself, there are very few other symptoms at all and of course you have the side effects of anxiety, social isolation - it's hard.
"I am more chilled about it now. I can't say that if somebody complains tomorrow, I wouldn't still find it a little bit cutting. But I deal with it by educating that person now."