The growth covered her lower arm, parts of her back and chest before she underwent surgery as a child. But years later, the condition has continued to change her life in ways she never expected.

A mum’s left arm has grown to ten times the size of her right and now weighs 15lbs — roughly the combined weight of newborn twins.

Robbie Dale, 32, from Cisco, Texas, was born with a rare condition called a vascular malformation, in which an abnormal network of blood vessels develops beneath the skin and can cause significant physical changes.

Despite undergoing several operations between the ages of one and five, her arm has continued to grow. Doctors have warned that it may become even larger, while further surgery could carry significant risks.

Throughout her life, Robbie has faced hurtful comments, with children calling her “fat arm.” Even as an adult, she still experiences unwanted stares. But she refuses to let other people’s reactions define her life.

Robbie, who works in retail, said: “From the top of my elbow to my shoulder, my arm is skinny, but from the elbow down it’s huge — it’s ten times bigger than my other arm.

“It weighs up to 15lbs and has left me unable to grasp or hold things properly because my hand, fingers and thumb have become so swollen.

“It affects my posture because it is so heavy. If I walk around for a long time, it becomes quite painful.”

An MRI scan revealed an extensive network of blood vessels surrounding her bones, making them difficult for doctors to see clearly.

Robbie explained that her condition was initially diagnosed as a cavernous haemangioma, and she underwent her first operation at just one year old.

“I had a large growth over my upper left chest, and doctors were able to remove it. Since then, my arm has continued to increase in size rapidly over the years.

“When I was younger, I didn’t pay much attention to it. I played basketball, the clarinet and did everything I could.

“It wasn’t until I got older that I became more aware of it and started being more careful as it grew heavier and more painful.”

Robbie has tried different ways to support the weight of her arm, including using a sling, but the pressure on her neck made it difficult. Doctors have also warned that the malformation could eventually affect a much larger area of her body, making further operations particularly challenging.

Despite these difficulties, Robbie is determined to live as normally as possible with her two children, McKenzie, 12, and Chesnie, 10, who regularly stand up for their mum when people make unkind remarks.

Robbie said: “I still feel very self-conscious. I find it difficult to look at myself in a full-length mirror, and I don’t like having pictures taken when my arm is visible.

“When I was out in public, I hated people staring, so I would often hide it underneath my shirt.

“I was frequently called ‘fat arm’ growing up, which was tough. But I’ve found that adults could be even more hurtful than children — one woman even thought my arm was part of a Halloween costume.

“Now I’ve started to ignore people who make comments or give me strange looks. I want to move forward with my life. My kids are really protective of me and always try to stand up for me.”

Robbie has considered amputation but has been warned about serious potential complications, including the possibility of the malformation returning.

Until she can find a surgeon willing to assess her case, she continues to focus on the positives. After struggling to find work for nine years, she recently landed her first job in nearly a decade.

She said: “I’m happy with where I am, and I’ve just got my first job after struggling for work for nine years.

“It scares me that my arm may continue to grow and that I don’t know how it will affect me as I get older.

“For now, I try to live my life as normally as I can. Growing up, I missed out on a lot of things I wanted to do, so now I just try not to let my condition hold me back.”

Source: mirror.co.uk