Imagine finding love — but being allergic to the very thing that creates life. That’s the painful reality for 34-year-old Allison Tennyson from Minneapolis, who lives with a rare and agonizing condition most people have never heard of.

Every time she’s intimate, Allison’s body reacts violently. “It hurts. My partner doesn’t want to… it’s not appealing to hurt someone you love,” she confessed softly. What should be a moment of closeness turns into tears — and fear.

Allison isn’t just allergic to semen. She also suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder that weakens her skin and organs. To make matters worse, she’s allergic to the materials used in most condoms — leaving her trapped between pain and longing. “We’re not intimate enough because I don’t want to burn, and he doesn’t want to make me cry,” she said.

Her biggest heartbreak? The thought that she may never be able to have children. “If having a baby wasn’t an option, it would be devastating,” she admitted. “At least if I had the choice, it would make me feel better.”

Now at 34, Allison still holds on to hope — even as time, fear, and biology seem to work against her. Because deep down, she says, “I just want to feel normal… and loved without pain.”