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Episode details

Radio 5 Live,2 mins

Teenage FASD sufferer: 'I can't make friends'

5 Live In Short

Available for over a year

Katrina was born with FASD - foetal alcohol spectrum disorder - as a result of the alcohol her biological mother consumed during pregnancy. The affects of alcohol on an unborn child range from poor growth and badly-formed organs, to learning disorders and cognitive problems. Many will need some level of support for their entire life. Katrina was adopted in the UK along with her older sister after Russian social services removed her from her alcoholic birth mother as an infant. The 15-year-old has described to 5 live's Phil Williams what life is like living with FASD: "I had an operation when I was four years old and unfortunately I've got to have another one," she said, describing the botox injections she has in her eyes in order to avoid headaches and blurred vision as a result of her condition. FASD has affected every aspect of Katrina's life, "I can't make friends at all [...] I haven't got one friend in the world." she said. She says she believes there are a lot of older children who are being wrongly diagnosed with ADHD when they really should be diagnosed with FASD. This clip is originally from Phil Williams on 1 December 2015.

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