The Woman Who Can Literally Sniff Out Disease

 Meet the star: Joy Milne, a 74-year-old grandmother from Scotland, whose life took an extraordinary turn because of her nose.


Her gift: She can literally smell Parkinson’s disease—and other illnesses—just from body odor. Think of it as a human superpower nature forgot to hand out to the rest of us.

How it all began

Decades ago, Joy noticed something odd about her husband, Les. He had developed a strange, musky scent that wasn’t there before. It lingered for years without explanation. Then, 13 years later, Les was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Suddenly, the mysterious smell made sense—and Joy realized she had been detecting the illness long before any doctor did.

Putting her nose to the test

Scientists, intrigued by her story, designed a T-shirt experiment. Volunteers wore shirts—some with Parkinson’s, some without—and Joy was asked to smell them. The results? She correctly identified every single case. In one instance, she even flagged a participant as having Parkinson’s before the person was officially diagnosed. Later, doctors confirmed she was right. Her nose had outperformed medical screening.

The science behind the sniff

It turns out diseases can change the chemical compounds our bodies release, producing distinct odors:

  • Diabetes can smell like overripe or rotten apples.

  • Liver disease gives off a musty, damp-basement odor.

  • Kidney problems may carry an ammonia or fishy scent.

For most of us, these subtle shifts are undetectable. For Joy, they stand out like perfume in a crowded room.

From superpower to science

Joy’s unusual ability is now fueling cutting-edge research. Scientists are working on developing an AI-powered “electronic nose” that mimics her skill, potentially allowing doctors to diagnose diseases early—simply by analyzing a patient’s scent.

Why it matters

Early detection can save lives, improve treatment outcomes, and lower costs. If a machine nose becomes a standard medical tool, it could transform healthcare on a global scale. And it all started with one woman who trusted her sense of smell.

While most of us are still struggling to tell tacos from burritos by scent alone, Joy Milne is out here saving lives with a single sniff. Sometimes, superheroes don’t wear capes—they just have extraordinary noses.

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