'Living with the most painful condition means I can no longer work'

'Living with the most painful condition means I can no longer work'Sophie Cole said her 'life changed as she knew it' after an 'assault' at a school - the woman now suffers with a chronic condition that means she will 'never be pain free'NewsElizabeta Ranxburgaj06:00, 17 Apr 2026View 6 ImagesSophie Cole pictured in hospital(Image: Cover Images)A former teacher with the "one of the most painful conditions known to medicine" claimed her horror started after an assault while at school.‌Sophie Cole, 32, said she has been told she'll "never be pain free" due to her chronic condition. The woman, from Cork, Ireland, said she is often in so much pain that she thinks her hand is on fire and suffers from migraines from the agony.‌She claimed her suffering stemmed from an 2022 assault when she leant down to the floor to clear up some spilled water while working as a Special Needs teacher.‌The 32-year-old said: "I knelt beside a child, put my hand on the table to balance myself, and when I did that my hand was grabbed and slammed into a steel table. In that moment, my life changed as I knew it."View 6 ImagesThe woman was diagnosed with a chronic condition(Image: Cover Images)READ MORE: 'My husband had a Covid vaccine and died 11 days later'READ MORE: 'I thought my symptoms were from a burger, but it was a tumour'Following the incident, for which she does not hold the child responsible, Sophie was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), which is considered one of the most painful conditions known to medicine. It ranks higher than childbirth on the McGill pain scale.‌Sophie was left permanently disabled and said she can no longer drive or work, and spends much of her time travelling around the country visiting different doctors and consultants in the hope of reducing the pain. She has been told the condition could spread throughout her body.View 6 ImagesSophie said she fac...