Retired fireman and ex-Royal Marine Adrian McGregor, 52, (pictured) who lives in the West Midlands, was plagued by severe pain for 18 years after injuring his back. Earlier this year he had a medical epiphany. Adrian is following a revolutionary system for dealing with lower back pain developed by Dr Stuart McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at Canada's University of Waterloo.

Hannah Lindley, 20 (right), from Leeds, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 14 months old. This is a life-limiting genetic condition causing the lungs and the digestive system to become clogged with mucus. Her younger sister (far left and inset) was also diagnosed at birth, but her condition deteriorated and she died last November. Miss Lindley says her own lungs are now working at half the normal capacity and it's 'only a matter of time' before they will deteriorate and she will no longer be able to get out of bed. She believes a new drug Orkambi, which thins mucus in the lungs, allowing them to heal, could restore her lung function and save her life. But the health body NICE has released draft guidance recommending it should not be routinely prescribed. Miss Lindley believes she has been handed 'a death sentence' as a result. She said: 'Orkambi is one of the cystic fibrosis drugs I've never had chance to have. My lung function is at 55 per cent at the moment but it's only a matter of time before my condition becomes more serious.'

Donna Docherty, from Glasgow, Scotland, used to eat takeaways most days and had six cans of Coca Cola a day, ballooning to 15st 3lb. She married husband Kevin in a size 20 wedding dress (left) but felt 'slender' because it flattered her figure. The 31-year-old has now dropped down to a size 8 and lost more than seven stone after giving up sugar, and now 'high fives' the mirror because of her sculpted figure and weighs 7st 12lb.

Luigi Miccolis, 32, (centre) from Italy, Michael Waldron, 32, (left) from Somerset, and Thomas Waterfall, 28, (right) from London, made the change for ethical reasons but have transformed their bodies as a result. Now the men, who all boast washboard stomachs and bulging biceps, say that they won't ever go back to their meat-eating ways. Thomas said: 'I feel more alert, I sleep better, I feel fitter, my complexion is much brighter - the list goes on. 'Before, I would go to the gym a bit but never really achieved the strength and fitness I had hoped for.'

The Instagram star, 30, from Surbiton, London, revealed his company is making the whopping sum every month as he touches down in the US to launch his best-selling cookbook there. Joe, who goes by the alias The Body Coach, has amassed nearly one million followers on Instagram, including celebrities like Ellie Goulding and is now set to take the US (pictured in New York, right) by storm. But he insists he never set out to 'make money' and simply wanted to 'help people' when he became a personal trainer.

Nicole Baxter, 21, from Belfast, (left) was diagnosed with Triangular Alopecia after regularly using the product to keep her hair fresh between washes. As well as hair loss (right) and sores, she claims she also experiences a a 'terrible burning sensation' all over her head. She shared her story in a Facebook post which has been shared more than 30,000 times. A spokesperson for Batiste said: 'We would like to assure our customers that all our products are analytically tested for compliance to European Regulations.'

A miracle baby who was born four months early - and just one week before the abortion limit - is now thriving, despite being given almost zero chance of survival. Meabh McArdle, from Belfast, who is now nearly six months old, weighed just one pound when she was born 23 weeks into her term, last October (right). 'It breaks my heart that people can abort a baby when I see what she looked like at 23 weeks - I personally think the limit needs to be lowered.'

Polly Williamson has no recollection of the riding accident that nearly took her life. The former event rider, 47, sustained a severe head injury and three broken vertebrae in a fall four years ago. Her devastated family (pictured, Polly with sons Freddie, left, and Jack) was told that she might not survive, and that, if she did, there was a risk of brain damage. But Polly pulled through - and her determination to battle back to full health, even learning how to walk again, has won the admiration of many, including her friend Princess Anne (pictured, handing a rosette to Polly). The Princess Royal has even contributed to a book Polly has written about her ordeal, in which she tries to make sense of what she went through.

Dave Harrison, 35, from Bridlington, noticed a pimple on his penis while showering. Weeks later, when it hadn't gone, Weeks later, when it hadn't gone, tests revealed the devastating news he had penile cancer. He had surgery to remove the cancer which meant he lost half of his penis (top right). But the father-of-two, pictured with son Dexter (bottom right) and daughter Katie when she was bridesmaid on his wedding day (left), is now in remission. He and wife Gemma are still able to have a normal sex life while Mr Harrison decides whether or not to have surgery to reconstruct his penis. 'He was self-conscious at first, but we've been together for 15 years, since we were 19, so soon all shyness went out of the window,' said Mrs Harrison.

Misael Caldogno Abreu (pictured), from Espírito Santo, Brazil, is three times the size of other children his age due to a syndrome which means he has an insatiable appetite and can't stop eating. He is so heavy he often stops breathing while sleeping - leaving his terrified parents fearing that one day he may not wake up. Doting father Manoel Abreu, 38, said: 'Everything is hard for him - he is a baby carrying an adult's weight.' Doctors believe he may be suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome and weighs a hefty 12.5 stone. Despite that, he is still gaining weight even though he is now following a low-fat diet and walks for 40 minutes each day.

Lorraine Henderson, 40, from Livingston, was diagnosed with skin cancer after she regularly used sunbeds and refused to wear sun cream from the age of 13. She had a bizarre spot on her face (left) for a year before a friend urged her to see a doctor because it wasn't clearing up. The mother-of-one said: 'The doctor took one look at it and said "it's skin cancer". I was quite taken aback. It hadn't crossed my mind at all.' Ms Henderson's shocking picture has now been shared more than 3,600 times on Facebook, with users praising for her brave decision. She said: 'I'm not looking for sympathy, I just want people to be aware of sunbeds.'

Rose Winchcombe, four, from Chester, was struck down with a mystery illness at age two. Her muscles stopped functioning and she was robbed her of the ability to smile, talk, laugh or crawl (left). Simultaneously, she started having 12 seizures a day - and was diagnosed with epilepsy. But while this explained her fits, doctors had no idea what was causing her other symptoms. Believing she may have a genetic condition, they sent her for tests, which are still ongoing. Desperate for anyone that could help, her parents found therapists trained by a specialist centre, based in the US, that advocates drug-free treatment to help children's brains develop. Six months after receiving the treatment, which involves making her crawl to stimulate the cranial nerve - the part of the brain that controls facial expression -she is finally able to smile again (right), as well as talk and crawl. Describing her delight at her daughter's progress, Rose's mother Jo, 39, said: 'She laughs hysterically, she's bright and she is a real little personality. It is completely wonderful, I can't fully express it in words.'

Jill Ingle, from Sheffield, took to social media in despair (left, her Facebook post) after her daughter Niamh, 21 (right, with her mother), returned home from her second consecutive night shift having not eaten a bite - and too exhausted to care. Ms Ingle, a former nurse herself, says Niamh handed back the meal she had taken to work both nights - but not managed to eat. The post has been shared and liked more than 3,700 times since it was uploaded. Ms Ingle believes the cuts to the NHS mean younger generations of nurses and midwives are being worked to the bone. Writing on Facebook about the night Niamh came home exhausted, Ms Ingle said: 'She looked terrible - and I looked into those eyes that you see here and I saw a desperation. 'The powers that be are breaking people - breaking people like my daughter, breaking junior doctors, breaking the ill people who they look after with the changes to benefits and the rest. Whilst we read about the rich - and how they live their lives...'

The Walking With Giants Foundation held the week-long conference in Liverpool so people with primordial dwarfism could meet and talk to each other and know they are 'not alone.' Families travelled as far as Australia, Columbia, Canada and the Netherlands for the week-long convention to play games (inset) and make friends. Emma van der Linden, pictured with her mother Judith (left) and father Robert (right) has the condition which causes limbs not to develop properly.

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Erica Diaz was helping her eldest daughter make a Valentine's Day card when a piece of gold glitter ended up lodged in her left eye. The 33-year-old (pictured left before the ordeal) from North Lauderdale, Florida, first noticed something was wrong when she noticed painful irritation. The mother-of-two was given heavy-duty eye drops and made repeated visits to the emergency room - but nothing helped. She also underwent two failed cornea transplants, had painful biopsies, received injections in her eye and nearly died from sepsis during the next month. But eventually, doctors realized they had no choice but to remove her eye just one month later. Ms Diaz, who works as a singer and writer, now has a prosthetic right eye (pictured left) and lacks depth perception - but says she's grateful for the experience, as it's made her more confident and self-assured, and has brought her family closer together.

Baby Leopold, who lives with his parents near Seattle, Washington, suffers with a rare disorder called oculocutaneous albinism. The condition affects the color of a person's hair, skin and eyes and means that the youngster is unable to see properly. Captured on camera is the tear-jerking moment Leopold smiles in delight after his new glasses allow him to see his mother clearly for the first time in his life.

Jenika Tailor, from London, had no idea she was pregnant, having had regular periods and suffering no weight gain, cravings or back pain. The 19-year-old woke in agony last month and went to the toilet, assuming she had severe period pain or constipation. But when it got worse, she called for her mother (right), who rushed to her side and noticed she was bleeding. Baby Zara was born just seconds later, weighing 4lb 3oz. Miss Tailor was not using contraception but claims didn't think she would get pregnant. She is now speaking out to raise awareness of safe sex.

Student Alex Valentine, 21, from Dorset, could run 20 miles before he suffered from a stroke in May last year (right). It meant part of his skull had to be removed by doctors (left) to ease the swelling, leaving him with scarring (top middle). He spent months in hospital (bottom middle) and has had to relearn how to talk and walk again. But the Leeds University student is determined to run again one day and return to his degree in electronics to develop technology to help others with disabilities. 'To be honest, every morning of my life I am able to get up and wash without the assistance of a carer I will be truly thankful for,' he said.

Donna Gillie, 30, from Nova Scotia, Canada, weighed 230lb at her heaviest (left). She transformed her body through exercise and cutting down on her sweet 'trigger' foods. After losing 115lb she then unveiled her sculpted physique in two bikini competitions and now shows off her svelte figure in racy lingerie shoots (centre and right). She says her taut and trim appearance is entirely a result of shedding the excess pounds and getting fit when she was young.

Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said people in Britain simply do not understand existing labels on food packets. She suggested changing it to show what exercise they would need to undertake to work of what they are eating.

Andy James, 32, from Lymm, Cheshire, went to hospital when he began to experience excruciating pain in his left eye, which he said felt like 'daggers stabbing into his brain'. There, he was diagnosed with ulcers on his cornea, the transparent layer over the front of the eye (left and top right). In order to take swabs from the lesions, doctors had to inject a needle into his eyeball, and hearing it 'pop' left him sick to his stomach. Doctors told Mr James if he had waited another 24 hours before having treatment he could have lost sight in that eye. He discovered wearing contact lenses for 14 hours a day, for weeks at a time was to blame for his ulcers. Now, he is sharing his story in a bid to warn others of the dangers of wearing contact lenses for too long. Pictured with fiancée Sam (bottom right) said: 'The experience was utterly horrible and something I never want to experience ever again.'

Jessica Morgan Price, from Porthcawl, south Wales, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2013. She immediately started chemotherapy (right) but caught MRSA and suffered raft of complications, causing her heart to stop three times. Miss Morgan Price spent a year in hospital recovering (bottom right). The mortgage adviser, 21, (bottom left) is now in recovery and raising money for charity 'Jessica's Dream'.

Pregnant fitness trainer Emily Breeze, 31, from Charlotte, North Carolina, lifted an astonishing 155 pounds 55 times during a competition. The athlete, who was 34 weeks pregnant at the time, pictured left lifting at the competition, right lifting in the gym which she shared at 35 weeks and inset posing in underwear at 27 weeks, can lift 325 pounds at full capacity

Natalie Garside, from Greater Manchester, was left in a wheelchair from a car accident when she was 16. She spent more than six months recovering in hospital before being discharged, but has never regained use of her legs (left). Doctors warned her she was unlikely to conceive but she has defied medics to have 'miracle' son, Monroe (pictured). Her waters broke at 37 weeks and she felt no pain during the natural delivery and recovered well in hospital (top right) 'When we brought Monroe home from hospital, I was ecstatic,' she said. 'It felt like something I should never have been able to experience.' Monroe, (left and right) is fit and healthy and recently celebrated his first birthday.