Toddler with rare sun allergy gains indoor daylight access through UV window film

Two-year-old Mollie Murray of Montrose, Scotland, is the only child in the UK known to have her specific variant of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disorder that makes her skin extremely sensitive to ultraviolet light. The condition has no cure and means Mollie can only go outside safely while wearing full-length protective clothing or after dark. She has previously suffered sunburn even in November, and doctors have advised she is 10,000 times more likely to develop skin cancer than other children.

Mollie's mother, Kirsty Campbell, a charge nurse, said the family initially had to keep curtains closed at all times to protect Mollie indoors. The NHS funded UV-resistant window film at Campbell's home, but no funding was available for the film at the home of Mollie's father, Ryan Murray, where she spends much of her time.

The Archie Foundation, a charity originally established to support the build of Aberdeen's children's hospital, provided £600 to install the film at Murray's home last month. Campbell said the support was "indescribable" and that she cried for 20 minutes when told the funding would come through.

With the film installed, Mollie can now look outside for the postman, draw in daylight, and run around indoors without protective clothing. Previously, her father had been bringing playpark equipment inside the house because it was not safe for her to play outdoors.

Campbell uses a UV monitor to check readings in every room to ensure they are safe for Mollie to enter. Daily life requires Mollie to wear full protective outerwear outdoors and reapply sun cream every two hours, even under her clothes.

Mollie was in and out of hospital from infancy with symptoms including seizures and severe reflux before her XP diagnosis followed severe sunburns on an overcast day in May 2025 and again two months later. The family has been told Mollie will likely face neurological impairment and mobility issues in her 40s and 50s, but should have a fairly normal childhood.

Rebecca Duncan, business development and fundraising manager for The Archie Foundation in Tayside, said the charity was committed to ensuring families never feel they have to face such challenges alone. She described Mollie as showing remarkable resilience and said the foundation was proud to help her experience the joy and opportunities every child deserves.