A mother has revealed how she was accused of burning her sons after a rare condition left them with 'butterfly skin'.
Melissa Jaquez, of Wichita, Kansas, would often have police knocking on her door investigating whether she was abusing her children when their painful disorder left them unable to attend school.
The 38-year-old is mother to 18-year-old Marcos Jordan Burrola-Jaquez, aka Marky The Rock, who suffers from the genetic condition severe recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).
She even lost her son and a fellow RDEB sufferer Carlos Xavier Tharp-Jacquez, when he died from heart failure related to the disorder aged just 14 in November 2013.
Although Marky is still alive, his excruciating, blistering skin has left him unable to walk and dependent on his mother to care for him.
Melissa Jaquez was accused of burning her sons after a rare skin condition left them with severe blisters. The mother-of-three is pictured with her son Marcos Jordan Burrola-Jaquez, aka Marky The Rock, who suffers from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
The condition has left Marky covered in blisters (pictured) and in excruciating pain
Mrs Jaquez is pictured with her children's father and their sons Marky (right) and Carlos Xavier Tharp-Jacquez (left). Carlos died from heart failure related to the disorder aged just 14 in November 2013. Mrs Jaquez began caring for Marky full time in November last year
Mrs Jaquez, who is also mother to 22-year-old Michael, said: 'Both Carlos and Marky were born with RDEB.
'Their skin was as thin as butterfly wings, so this illness is also known as "baby butterfly". Also, they had no skin on their hands, feet and calves.
'Neither of them [were] born with the collagen that connects and bonds their skin together. This means they haven't ever walked.
'My sons had to have feeding tubes by six months old because even swallowing their own saliva caused open sores in the oesophagus.'
The boys' shared disorder left them unable to attend school every day, which caused people to become suspicious.
'The public contacted the police who came knocking on my door accusing me of burning and abusing my children because of how they looked,' Mrs Jaquez said.
'I was in total shock. It made me feel very alone. I just didn't understand why they would go out of their way to call the police instead of approaching us directly and offering support.'
Marky has to have his bandages changed, and his wounds cleaned, every day
Pictured with his parents, Marky cannot walk and relies on a specially-adapted wheelchair
Despite all he has endured, Marky smiles through the pain and manages to stay positive
Mrs Jaquez, who used to be the director of her local social services, became Marky's full-time carer in November last year.
She is forced to remove his bandages and clean his wounds every day,
