Charismatic & Brave Photographer ... Gone too Soon!

Charismatic & Brave Photographer ... Gone too Soon!

A 'charismatic and brave' campaigner who suffered from a rare skin condition that left him with the pain of 'third-degree burn' blisters every day has died at the age of 24. 

James Dunn, from Whiston, Merseyside, was born with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), a rare skin condition that causes the skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch.

Susanna Reid, of Good Morning Britain, where Mr Dunn appeared earlier this year, tweeted the news on Sunday.

She said: 'Heartbroken to hear of the death of inspirational EB campaigner James Dunn. Charismatic, brave, talented.

He worked as a photographer despite losing the use of his hands and took pictures of celebrities such as Spiderman's Tom Holland, who said: 'He was one of the bravest people I have ever met. 

In 2016, James's life was featured on BBC2's The Big Life Fix With Simon Reeve. He stressed just how important photography was to his life - and in helping him to leave a legacy. He said: 'While I'm here I'm having fun, making memories and leaving something behind - making memories for other people to look at.'

The always incredibly-positive young man added: 'I want people to remember that this is what I enjoyed and this is where I found happiness.

If I can say that I helped to make EB a well-known condition that everyone understands, that will be a great legacy to leave behind,' he said.  

He wrote on the page that he had twice been diagnosed with an aggressive and ultimately fatal form of skin cancer brought on by the condition.

He said: 'Time has probably run out for me, but I want every other person being born into this world with EB to get to their 24th birthday and know they have another 30 or 40 years ahead of them - not like me, getting to my 24th birthday and knowing it might be one of my last.