Strictly star addresses rare health condition 'I'm not ashamed'
Pop star Matt Goss has opened up about the years of shame he has endured living with rare muscular condition Poland Syndrome.
The 55 year old singer-songwriter, who found worldwide fame in the 80s with his band Bros, has spoken out to address his troublesome lifestyle and admits that despite the difficulties he has endured, he's now "walking with pride."
Speaking to fans on his Instagram from the first ever Poland Syndrome Festival, held in Birmingham on April 27 and 28, Matt sent a poignant message during his touching special video message advising those living with Poland Syndrome to "walk tall" and not be ashamed of the condition.
He said: "“I am proud to say I have Poland Syndrome. I am sure so many of you guys relate. Doctors said, ‘just work out, go to the gym, it will come back’.
"It doesn’t come back. I was born without a lower pec muscle on my right side. For many, many years I felt so insecure. It affected my posture.
“Back in the day when I first started in Bros, I used to always cover my chest. But now I stand upright and I am proud to be part of the Poland Syndrome family.
"I wish all of you the most blessed life and let’s walk with pride. All my love.”
Matt, who was a contestant in the 2022 season of Strictly Come Dancing, was born with Poland Syndrome and says he spent his years as part of pop duo Bros hiding it from the public.
He said: "Nobody will have ever noticed but I often used to pose covering that side of my chest." Twin brother Luke was not born with the condition which is estimated to impact up to 1 in 30,000 newborns.
Other famous names with PS include the late TV presenter, Jeremy Beadle - who had a disproportionately small hand, as well as Olympic boxer Jerome Thomas and fitness influencer, Giselle Barbosa, who was at the festival in person.
A £20,000 National Lottery cheque to support PIP UK – the UK’s only Poland Syndrome charity – was presented at the festival by Preet Gill - Shadow Minister for Primary Care & Public Health and local MP for Edgbaston.
She told attendees she was “very proud” of Birmingham to be the host of the first ever festival and praised Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s excellent work in supporting families impacted by the syndrome.
She said: “Very little is known about Poland Syndrome and many families struggle to access support. Birmingham Children’s Hospital is leading the way in addressing this and the festival is a major force in creating further understanding of the condition."
As well as a host of fun activities, including a fashion show, a special fitness class was hosted at the festival by social media star and PS ambassador, Giselle Barbosa, who got the crowd limbered up with her unique Poland Syndrome Fitness Programme. Another festival is planned for 2025.
Poland Syndrome is an extremely rare muscular condition and something that Matt was born with. It's an asymmetrical syndrome in that it affects one side of the body, with the main aspect of the syndrome being an absent chest muscle on one side. Although this can extend to under developed rib cage (on one side) and webbed fingers (or missing digits) on one hand.
The degree of severity of Poland Syndrome and its symptoms differs between people but thankfully for the majority of people it is not life threatening.
Sadly, the condition is often not diagnosed at all. Since the inception of PIP-UK the charity has come across many stories of people who are into adulthood before they even find out about it. The charity is now on a mission to change this situation and have set up PIP-UK to raise awareness of Poland Syndrome and to offer support and community.
To find out more about Poland Syndrome or to make a donation, go to www.pip-uk.org
