MY BODY TORMENT

A WOMAN trapped in the body of a man has issued an emotional appeal for her tormentors to leave her alone.

Patricia Coffey's life is so unbearable she claims to have attempted suicide 10 times.

When she was born, doctors couldn't tell whether Patricia was a boy or girl.

They later decided she was female, but her genetic disorder ensured the dominance of male characteristics and Patricia, 41, looks and sounds like a man.

Now some of the villagers - adults as well as children - subject her to jibes, taunts and even stone throwing.

Youngsters often gather outside her house, shouting "freak" and screeching like chimpanzees

Patricia's suffering began after she moved to the village and a rumour spread that she was really a man who had undergone a sex swap operation.

She claims her tiny council house has been attacked with stones, she has been verbally abused and that some locals blast their car horns as they drive by.

She says her life has also been made a misery by cruel jibes about scars on her face caused by another illness.

Patricia said: "I'm suffering appalling discrimination due to people's ignorance of my disability.

"I need to get out of here for good, before my mind completely snaps."

Originally specialists thought Patricia suffered from the condition known as Clinefelter's syndrome - a condition whereby a person can be born male but take on female characteristics after puberty.

Patricia said: "That was an incorrect diagnosis, I was born female. Medical specialists agree that I'm a normal functioning woman.

"I was born with the XXY chromosome instead of the XX or YY which are male and female. I may be the only person in Ireland with it.

"The extra chromosome gives me a low voice and affects the heart, ears and face. I've a hole in my heart and I have ear and facial conditions - things that are also associated with Downs syndrome."

She said people taunt her because of the scarring on her face. She is now wearing bandages after medical treatment for the scars, but finds this only makes people stare more.

Other conditions which are untreatable include a lump at the base of her spine and a growth at the back of her head.

"I don't want to be punished for the illnesses that have affected my life. I'm not being treated as a human being.

"The only respite I get is from the Cheshire Home Foundation. If they weren't around I'd be lost."

Originally from Thurles, Patricia had to live in Dublin for a number of years for medical treatment. She has had 50 operations in 30 years - the first at the age of seven.

She later moved to Borrisoleigh after the local council found her a house "as a matter of medical emergency", but then the attacks began. Gardai have investigated all reports but never found enough evidence to bring charges.

In an effort to deter the attacks Patricia has installed CCTV and put up signs explaining her condition.

The Irish Sunday Mirror has seen some of the footage where groups of youths can be heard shouting: "Freak, freak, ya half man, half beast" and "ya stupid f***ing bitch".

However the youths in the film were too far away for Gardai to be able to establish their identity.

Yesterday Patricia said that death would be a welcome release.

She said she has already made 10 attempts on her life in the last two years, including:

Plunging a knife into her stomach in broad daylight in Thurles town square

Slashing her wrists on numerous occasions

Swallowing a bottle of tablets on a train

Drinking weedkiller.

Patricia said her life became a nightmare after rumours that she was a transsexual began circulating three years ago.

She said: "I've been treated viciously since I moved here. Kids have thrown rocks at my house and at me when I walk outside. Now I've become a virtual prisoner in my own home.

"People call me a queer, a homosexual, and I've even had men expose themselves to me."

Patricia, who is on disability allowance, also suffers from a tissue-wasting disease, and doctors have diagnosed two stomach complaints and removed a massive hernia.

She is also seeing a number of specialists because of an abnormal bone formation in her feet and for a throat condition which makes her voice very deep.

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