“For most people, a diagnosis of congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a death sentence, as the extremely rare disorder kills most while they are still toddlers. But Georgia pre-teen Ashlyn Blocker, 12, has refused to let her condition ruin her life, competing in beauty pageants, playing in the school band and helping other children with her disease. Tara and John Blocker, Ashlyn’s parents, spoke to Good Morning America about the trials and tribulations of raising a daughter with such unique needs… Since the disorder affects the way signals travel from her central nervous system, Ashlyn has been working with researchers from the University of Florida to help learn more about pain. They hope studying Ashlyn might assist in creating new treatments for people with chronic pain.” w/ photos