Crippled by rheumatoid arthritis for more than 30 years, she has undergone numerous operations to her joints.

Despite her condition, the 34-year-old has battled on to walk, drive and even have a child – all things experts warned she'd never do.

She now faces her biggest health hazard – fractures in her neck leading to her brain, meaning a minor accident could end her life.

But despite the prospect of undergoing another major operation, the West Boldon mum says she's determined to live life to the full.

It was a simple childhood mishap which changed the course of Jane's life.

After falling from a wall at South Shields seafront as a two-year-old, she was unable to get out of bed.

Complete rest was ordered for the youngster, with doctors initially believing she had a spinal condition.

But she was later diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which quickly spread throughout her body.

At age 11, Jane, from Boldon, became the youngest person in the country to undergo a hip replacement.

As the arthritis progressed, she endured no less than three hip and three knee replacements, and even had her toes broken and reset, apart from facing a separate battle against osteoporosis, or brittle bones.

Her condition stunted her growth and she takes eight morphine tablets a day, plus standard painkillers, and needs injections costing £12,000 a year, paid for by the NHS.

And now she faces her biggest medical challenge, as fractures in her neck could prove fatal.

But despite needing daily doses of painkillers, brave Jane, 34, has raised a son, Callum, 10, and still walks and drives through her pain – all things she was warned she would never do.

Jane's partner of 12 years, David Pattison, 37, contacted the Gazette after reading our story about Boldon Colliery mum Eileen Brown, 49,
who was dubbed South Tyneside's "Bionic Woman" after having most of her joints replaced because of her own battle with rheumatoid arthritis.

Mr Pattison, a motor vehicle technician, said: "I just think Jane deserves some recognition for what she has gone through.