Jemma Pixie Hixon become a global star despite suffering from a crippling fear of the outdoors.

 An agoraphobic singer has released her first single after becoming a YouTube sensation - despite not leaving her house for THREE YEARS. 


Jemma Pixie Hixon, 21, has become a global star despite suffering from a crippling fear of the outdoors.

Largely unknown in the UK, she is a household name in China and the Far East and has attracted nearly 12 million views on the internet.

She creates her music in a makeshift studio in her bedroom in Malvern, Worcestershire, where she lives with her parents.

Her first single, Never Let Go, was released last week. The instrumental was produced by DJ5parks while Jemma recorded her vocals on a laptop at home.

She hopes it will help highlight the plight of others affected by agoraphobia.

Jemma said: 'It would be amazing if people bought my single, it does have chart eligibility, so it's up to everyone who's supported me and followed me to help make the single do as well as possible.

'It would be a huge honour if it did well and I hope it would inspire other agoraphobics, or anyone at all for that matter, that you don't have to give up or let anything get in the way of your dreams.'

Jemma started suffering panic attacks when she was just six years old and her condition spiralled when she left school at 16 and had no daily routine of leaving the house.

She last left her house three years ago and has not gone further than the garden gate ever since.

Jemma explained: 'When I have an attack I feel really short of breath and it's like my heart is going to explode. I literally feel like I'm going to die.

'It's a strange thing because I know logically I have nothing to worry about walking out of the house but it's a completely different thing when I actually try and do it.

'After I left school I didn't really have any reason to get me out of the house so it was easy for me to stay in.

'I wanted to go to university but couldn't because of my condition. It's had a huge affect on my life.'

Jemma - who lives with her property developer mum Tonia, 50, and dad Mark, 49, in their six-bedroom detached house - uses a microphone, webcam and Apple Mac to produce and broadcast her music.

She started by uploading cover versions of songs onto YouTube but has since progressed to producing her own material.

Jemma is now well-known in China and last year won the coveted 'most viewed' video of the month in the whole of the country.

She has seen dozens of psychologists and hypnotherapists but no one has been able to cure her agoraphobia.

The young star hopes to one day be able to perform outside of her bedroom again, and feels that music is what makes her happiest.

She added: 'Music is the thing that helps me escape and makes me happy, whether it's singing, writing or simply listening to it.

'When I'm feeling particularly anxious I like to try to focus on writing a sort of stream of consciousness which I then adapt into lyrics.

'Singing is something that keeps me going and something I have done since I can remember.'

The single is available from sites such as iTunes, Amazon and HMV.

 

 SOURCE: Daily Mail