When Jayne Hardman’s dog playfully knocked her in the nose, the UK woman was shocked when it triggered a diagnosis of a rare disease that would cost her nose. Looking back, she says her beloved pet “saved” her life by “alerting” her that something was wrong.
Keep reading to learn more.
One day back in 2012, the UK’s Jayne Hardman was playing with her “really large Neapolitan Mastiff,” CeCe, when the nearly 130-pound dog accidentally jumped up and hit her in the nose.
At first, it seemed like nothing more than an unlucky knock, but when persistent nosebleeds and unusual swelling refused to go away, she realized something wasn’t right.
Looking back, she explained it was that one moment with CeCe that changed everything.
“After that my nose was just weird and it sort of blew up a little bit and I had lots of nose bleeds,” Hardman told This Morning. “She was just being playful…But my nose continued to be weird. So, thought I better go to the doctors and see what it was.”
Rare autoimmune disease
Two years later, doctors eventually discovered she had vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease that, in her case, attacked the blood vessels in her “upper airways, eyes and sinuses.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vasculitis causes inflammation that can reduce blood flow, damaging organs and body tissue if left untreated. The disease can affect any blood vessel in your body, including ones that are connected to the heart, skin, brain and stomach.
“I think the dog saved my life because if you don’t get treated, you’re dead within a year. So, I think she sort of alerted me that there was something going on with my nose and she saved my life,” she told the hosts in the July 2026 interview.
‘Nose collapsed into my face’
Although doctors identified the illness, Hardman says the treatment she received early on wasn’t enough to stop the damage.
“It was basically necrotizing,” Hardman explained. “My nose collapsed into my face over the period of three years. So, my nose was completely flat in my face.”
As her appearance changed, everyday life became increasingly difficult.
“I walked around like that for about 18 months. Leaving the house was incredibly difficult because every time you go out, people would stare at you,” she said, adding that she was repeatedly asked “incredibly intrusive questions, very rude questions.”
By 2017, she said her “nose that had sunk straight back into my face” and surgeons determined it had to be removed as the damaged tissue could no longer be saved.
Magnetic noses
Six weeks after surgery, Hardman received a prosthetic nose that she said is attached to magnets “drilled into my skull.”
“I just look normal again,” she said. “When you’ve got a facial deformity…difference, it’s incredibly hard to go out and face the world.”
Rather than hiding the prosthetics, Hardman now talks openly about them – and even jokes about having options.
She keeps what she calls a “selection of noses” in a wooden Twinings tea box.
“I’ve got a drunk nose that I wear,” she joked, pointing to the “red one.” “When I’ve had a few glasses of wine, I just put my drunk nose on.”
She also has another version for sunnier days.
“When I get a little bit of summer [sun] and a little bit of color on my cheeks, I have to have a slightly more tan one,” she said.
But the nose she wears every day in her “wonderful life” is the one she “loves the most.”
“I hated the way I looked and couldn’t look anyone in the eye,” she reflected. “Now, I’m loving life again. My prosthetics gave me my freedom back.”
‘I do still have snot’
She is now in remission and continues chemotherapy every six months to keep the disease under control.
These days, Hardman regularly gives her social media followers a candid look at life with her prosthetic, answering questions with honesty and plenty of humor.
In a TikTok clip, Hardman explained, “I do still have snot, I do still sneeze, I can smell, I can taste, and I breathe exactly the same as everybody else…When I get a cold, I don’t really get it in my nose anymore. I can feel it a tiny bit but it’s mainly in my eyes.”
“If you’ve got any more questions, give me a message and just ask. I’m happy to answer anything,” she said, adding that she hopes her story will raise awareness about vasculitis and challenge assumptions about people living with facial differences.
Hardman’s journey is a powerful reminder that strength can shine through even life’s toughest challenges. What are your thoughts on her inspiring story? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to share this article to help raise awareness about vasculitis!
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