My Outlook on Disease and Appearance

For my 18th birthday, my mother and auntie took me to the Coronation Street Backstage Tour!! Coronation Street is my favourite TV programme so I was delighted to go! As I was scrolling through my pictures from the event this morning, I noticed this in the corner of one of my photographs:


Spot the woman with elephantiasis. I noticed her yesterday morning, but didn't think anything to it. She's just a person who has a disease which made her face look like that. That's all.

But after observing her gradually throughout the day, I received motivation and positivity from her which she never intended to give me.

I'm not going to lie, the disease she has is horrific. If I had that disease, I would hide in my house all day and hate myself. Which is why I was so proud of this woman that I had never even met before and still haven't met.

She is a brave, strong woman. She has left the house, knowing that people would say things about her, and went out on a nice day because she likes Coronation Street. That is something which I could never do if I was her, and I admire her for that.

She did this because she is normal. She is a normal person. Okay, maybe her appearance is different. But everyone's appearance is different! No-one looks identical (unless, of course, identical twins) and she made me realise that. Appearance doesn't matter. Why do we care about what we look like when someone who looks like that can leave the house and have a great time on Coronation Street?!

Basically, from this experience I learnt that I am fortunate enough to have a good appearance, but it doesn't even matter anyway. If I had elephantiasis, I would learn to feel internal happiness regardless.

I ate KFC yesterday. So did that woman. Appearance doesn't even play a part in this.

She is a human. I am a human. You are a human. We are all humans. We can all eat the same things if we wish and wear the same clothes and go to the same events and feel the same happiness. Appearance doesn't affect any of these aspects of life.

I hope I am allowed to post that image of that woman on the Internet (although I'm most probably breaking some kind of laws here), but oh well. She became my inspiration within 5 minutes of first seeing her. I had never seen a disease like that before but I am so glad I did.

I hope she has a long, happy life and I wish her the best of luck for the future. I may never see her again, but I won't be forgetting her any time soon.

We never even spoke, and she has no idea that she had this effect on me. All I wish for, right now, is that she is happy and never once looks in the mirror and thinks she is ugly. I vow to never do that exact thing.

*PLEASE NOTE: If the woman in the photograph or her carer wishes for my removal of the photograph, please contact me through my Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/becky_stoakes) or my YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/bunnydiver1997) and we will discuss this. I am happy to remove the photograph, as long as I know this is what the woman in the photograph wants.* 

-bunnydiver.

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