Tommy Hilfiger's daughter says Lyme disease has "taken over every single cell" in her body and brain.

Tommy Hilfiger and his daughter Ally

Tommy Hilfiger and his daughter Ally

Ally Hilfiger - the oldest child of the fashion icon - has admitted her battle with the debilitating illness has left her feeling like an "80-year-old woman" after doctors failed to spot the infection for 14 years after she contracted it.

Speaking to the Daily Mail newspaper, she said: "I couldn't put lotion on my legs because it felt as if I was being beaten with a baseball bat. I was like an 80-year-old woman. It had taken over every single cell in my body and in my brain."

The 30-year-old fashion heiress believes she was plagued with the disease after she was bitten by a tick as a child.

The illness, which is passed on to humans via an infected tick, left Ally in "excruciating" pain, which led to her relying on a walking stick and struggling to sleep at night time.

Doctors initially thought Ally's symptoms - which included painful joints, headaches and a high fever - were pointing towards arthritis, a sever case of flu or growing pains.

However, Ally was adamant her symptoms were caused by something more sinister and sought a second opinion from a psychologist, who diagnosed her with the chronic disease.

She said of her diagnosis: "This was like winning the lottery for me. I was so relieved."


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