There was even the time we went on a backpacking holiday in eastern Europe. On the first morning I fell over and went head first into a huge concrete slab. I lost my front teeth and gained a black eye – there were cuts all over my face. The family thought we’d go home, but I just whacked on my sunglasses, wrapped a scarf around my mouth, made a rule there would be no pictures of me and we carried on. They all must have just thought I was trying to be strong for them as a mum.
‘I have an abundance of anandamide in my body, so much that I never experience anxiety, fear or pain.’
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‘I have an abundance of anandamide in my body, so much that I never experience anxiety, fear or pain.’ Illustration: Lucas Varela/The Observer
My happy gene also makes me incredibly positive: I’m wired to look on the bright side of life. I may not feel pain, but I see it on the faces of people around me, on television. And when something sad happens in my life, of course it affects me, it’s just that the sadness doesn’t consume all I do. A few minutes later I’m thinking practically, whirring into action.
That’s not to say I’m complacent. I’m outraged by injustice and can empathise with those having a tough time. But I’m practical. Vote! Protest! Do something! But don’t be a worrier, on leaving Europe or climate change or anything, really. My attitude is why waste time being a nervous wreck?
I’m pretty certain my father had the same condition, although he’s no longer with us, so it’s impossible to be sure. He never complained about his war wound, and was very open-minded. There was no curfew in the evenings or restrictions on outings with boys. This British Army major would even skip alongside me on the way to school. When a brain haemorrhage killed him – without a word of warning – he just dropped down dead where he was stood.
Once my test results were back, I told the research team that, of course, I’d help them. I’m no neuroscientist, but if they can isolate this gene and reproduce it to help suppress pain in others, the scientists hope to develop a natural form of pain relief. It makes me so pleased to think what the impact of that on other people might be. What’s inside me might be the secret to alleviating the suffering of others, an alternative to often addictive drugs. The funding has come through – the next phase begins in 2020.
At first, the research team thought I was the only person in the world like me, but since my story went public, 80 people from across the globe have come forward to say they think they’re the same. Their bloods are being tested right now, and I’m hoping they’re correct. I’m 72 now, and it’s already taken us seven years to get this far. This could take decades. I might be an optimist, but I’m realistic – at some point they’re going to need some younger volunteers.