Sunderland production company highlights rare skin condition for CBBC documentary

MCC Media, which has offices in Monkwearmouth, were commissioned by CBBC to produce a 30-minute documentary for the Bafta and Emmy award-winning My Life Series, called My Life Into The Sun.

The company has travelled extensively starting in the UK, then travelling to South Africa and finishing in Norway documenting the extraordinary lives of two young girls living with an incurable, life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight.

Both girls suffer from the same rare genetic skin condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) which prevents them both from doing simple, everyday things that many of us take for granted without being fully protected.

The team followed Alice, 13, from Carlisle who explains the extreme measures she has had to take to protect herself from UV rays.

The film also features Thapelo, a girl from South Africa who has to live with the condition in soaring temperatures all year round. Both Alice and Thapelo are brought together by an XP charity, The Teddington Trust, to conduct some experiments in Norway.

Producer Paul McCoy said: “It’s truly been a privilege to be able to come directly alongside these unique girls and tell their story. The girl’s approach to life was beyond inspiring and our team worked extremely hard to capture the essence of their struggles and give the viewer a real insight on what life is like living with such a limiting condition.”

Director David Mordey explained: “It was such a humbling experience working on this documentary. Seeing what these girls have to go through, just to step outside of their own front door was incredible. Going out during the day is something we all take for granted, but it is genuinely life-threatening for them if they don’t take the necessary precautions.”

•The documentary will be broadcast on Monday, March 25 at 5.30pm on CBBC.Freeview channel 201 [HD – 204], Sky channel 613 [HD –646], Freesat channel 607, Virgin Media channel 701, catch up on the BBC iPlayer.