Sharing Raw Stories is a way for us to connect, acknowledge the beauty, strength and perseverance involved in every journey. We hope these stories enlighten, inspire and encourage you as you walk your own path and help you to know that you are never alone. What is your Raw Story?
“I was born with a port wine stain birthmark as part of the Sturge Weber Syndrome that I have. Doctors advised to start with laser treatment when I was about six months old. At age two, this went terribly wrong as the treatment severely burnt my birthmark resulting in scar tissue on my birthmark. The scars belong to me as much as my birthmark does. I have eye sight problem as a result of the syndrome I have. I am blind on my right eye. And for me it is so much more important that I can see the world rather than spending my time treating my face for the sake of being seen differently in society. I invest time each day on my internal being, also as a means to relate healthily to my exterior and skin. I have been practicing yoga and meditation for the past decade on a daily basis.
From my interest in how people see and are seen in society I focussed my research at university on this subject. Last year I conducted research on the experience of people with visible differences with stigma and discrimination. From that @tofacetheworld was born, and I have now transformed it into my coaching business in which I coach individuals on many aspects of life, and particularly body image, awareness, acceptance.
I believe in education and letting the world see and engage in diversity in all its forms and facets. I continue with research of different topics related to self-acceptance, diversity and body awareness. Because below all that pigment we all have the same color, and with that, we should collectively move beyond those divisive features of humankind and face the world as we are”
