![Woman with rare disease says OnlyFans saved her life](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt949ea8e16e463049/blt207f55e93c44f53e/64132975e5e49c3bbc2feca2/onlyfan.jpeg)
A woman says OnlyFans saved her life after she started selling sexy snaps of herself to cover the cost of treatment for an autoimmune disease.
Rachael Huckle, 37 - known as Ivy Tenebrae on the platform - has a rare condition called pemphigus, which causes painful blisters to erupt throughout her digestive system including mouth, nose, throat and bowel.
Rachael says when she sought treatment from the NHS, she was told there was a three-year waiting list to see a specialist.
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So, in 2019 she started selling photos of herself on OnlyFans to help raise cash for medication, oral surgeries and nerve blockers to help ease her symptoms, costing £2,000 ($2,400) a month.
She makes up to £5,000 ($6,038) a month from her page, which also helps pay for private GP visits, medication and surgery.
Rachael, a former legal executive, from Wrexham, Wales, said: "I owe my life to OnlyFans.
"The community is so supportive and I'm very lucky to have OnlyFans to help me treat my illness.
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![Rachael turned to OnlyFans in 2019 and now makes up to £5,000 a month.](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt949ea8e16e463049/bltb5d15adb7920a44c/64132a94d5b75f7f76a978a4/i-owe-my-life-t--975938.jpeg)
"I'm struggling with a long-term illness and I have flare ups. Sometimes my skin is really inflamed, or I bleed so much to the point that I'll faint walking up the stairs.
"I'm still really struggling to get seen by doctors, so I'm self-funding quite a lot of treatment.
"I've had four procedures recently including oral surgeries and I may have to have a hysterectomy because I'm losing so much blood.
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"I need nerve blockers in my head as I've been having awful cluster headaches - but those are going to cost £4,000 a year.
"It's hard juggling everything, it's like a double edged sword.
![Rachael Huckle has a rare condition called pemphigus.](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt949ea8e16e463049/blt2f2ef93c31903e49/64132aa57e3bfd166a0d96d5/Screenshot_2023-03-16_at_14.40.06.png)
"Sometimes I'll be shooting and end up on the floor because I'm so unwell, but it also helps me get back up again because I know there's people out there who love my content and everyone is so encouraging.
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"If I didn't have this creative outlet, the support and be lucky enough to have the income, I don't know what I'd do."
Rachael says she’s only been seen by a gastroenterologist and is desperately ‘fighting’ to be seen by a rheumatologist specialising in autoimmune conditions.
The model says she uses more than half of her income from OnlyFans on private healthcare, while also paying tax contributions to the NHS.
![Rachael says the platform has saved her life.](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt949ea8e16e463049/blt4e5729751935b12c/64132ae06248856e2c85b86e/i-owe-my-life-t--975932.jpeg)
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She added: "Living with this illness is truly awful. You lose relationships and friendships.
"I've had to have blood transfusions and my iron levels are so low that sometimes I'll just be walking up the stairs and black out.
"I can't get insurance either because having a pre-existing health condition disqualifies you.
"My work has kept me going. I'm paying my tax contributions for the NHS but I'm also having to pay privately and even take loans out. OnlyFans has been honestly life-saving.
"I'm very lucky because I know a lot of other people with similar conditions who are struggling but can't pay for the treatment. If I didn't have OnlyFans I don't know what I'd do."