What's popular on Philtimes
Zara Hartshorn, 16, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England
suffers from a rare genetic disease called Cutis laxa.
Cutis laxa is a disorder of connective tissue, which is the tissue that forms the body's supportive framework. Connective tissue provides structure and strength to the muscles, joints, organs, and skin.
With no known cure, lipodystrophy erases fatty tissues from beneath the skin's surface.
When she was 12, Strangers often mistook her for the mother
of her 17-year-old sister Chloe.
"People call me 'granny'
and 'monkey,' " she told the New York Post in 2010. "Sometimes
I'll just go into the toilet and cry."
She was even mistaken for a teacher in school on a couple of
occasions, which was just mortifying in front of her classmates.
It is a remarkable
change of fortunes for the teenager who was once left in tears after being made
to get off a bus for not being able to prove she was eligible for a child's
ticket.
But after hearing of her condition, a top surgeon in the US
offered to perform cosmetic surgery for free.
Zara says that in middle school she finally found friends
who loved her for who she was as a person and didn't care about her appearance,
but she was always too insecure to date. She met her current boyfriend Ricky,
22, a housepainter and aspiring decorator, through mutual acquaintances after
her procedures. "He's seen pictures of me before and told me I was
beautiful," she says, "but I wouldn't have believed him." Ricky
says, "I tell her she's beautiful every day. But I mean she's a beautiful
person inside as well."
Now fully recovered from her surgery and moving ahead with
her life, she finally feels like the teenager
she is. Still, through enduring the torment of bullies and holding her
head high, she's gained a wisdom that far exceeds her years. "I've carried
those hurtful comments with me all my life but now I feel ready to leave the
past behind and forgive and forget." And to Ricky, she's a hero. "The
way Zara has handled things has been inspirational. I'm so proud of her—she
means the world to me." –YAHOO!
Twitter
Facebook