Being unable to feel pain is not a good thing

Pain is a crucial element in keeping us alive, and it is thought that there are so few cases of CIP because most of them do not survive to adulthood. — AFP

Patrice Abela first knew something was wrong when his eldest daughter was learning to walk and her feet left trails of blood behind her, yet she showed no sign of distress.

She was soon diagnosed with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP), an extremely rare and dangerous genetic disorder that dooms sufferers to a lifetime of hurting themselves in ways they cannot feel.