Former BCU student turns to TikTok to share art while living with an undiagnosed condition

A former Birmingham student with a rare genetic condition has gained over 12,000 TikTok followers by sharing her artwork online. 

Angharad Brawn, a 30-year-old ex BCU student from South Wales, has experienced chronic pain from a young age. 

By the age of five, Angharad showed early signs of pain, leading to her using a wheelchair by the end of primary school. 

Following a hip replacement at age 18, she had multiple genetic tests in an attempt to find a direct diagnosis. 

A previous student at Birmingham City University, Angharad told BirminghamLive: “I’ve never had an official diagnosis, all the geneticists I’ve seen have basically said they have never seen anything like the symptoms I have.” 

Her condition is undiagnosed and she struggles to swallow, speak and is bound to a motorised wheelchair since age 14. 

Despite this, she remains very independent and completed a degree at BCU’s School of Jewellery. 

Angharad explained: “My art really helps as it means I have to focus on something else, my bungalow has normally got different projects I’m working on all over it, so I’ve always got some sort of distraction at hand.” 

More recently, she began showcasing her artwork to her TikTok page which reached over 12,000 followers. 

@byangharadstudio

What I’ve been working on last week and a bit of info #artistsoftiktok #gouachepainting #disabilitytiktok #disability

♬ Always Verse 2 – October

Angharad now lives in a bungalow in Caerphilly, where a support team visits her every morning and evening. 

She has also published a children’s book titled, The Wobbly Penguin which highlights her journey and experiences with an undiagnosed disease. 

Featured image via TikTok @byangharadstudio