Throughout her life, Ciera Swaringen was bullied due to the hundreds of birthmarks that cover her from head to toe. The 19-year-old described for The Daily Mail how classmates taunted her during childhood. “One day I remember being on the school bus and hearing a young boy laugh at me and call me a spotty dog. That really knocked my confidence, I was only young and it made me feel different from the other kids, like something was wrong with me,” she said. That insecurity has since transformed Ciera into an incredible, bright young woman who is proud of her ‘spots’. How beautiful is she!
She was born with a rare skin condition, Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus, which affects one in 500,000 people and gives affected individuals birthmarks all over their bodies. Throughout childhood, she endured harsh comments, glances, and stares, but she didn’t let them get the better of her. Her supportive parents early on called her birth marks the “Angel’s Kisses”.
She is really someone to look up to and Ciera hopes that more young people and adults to spread her important message about love and acceptance.
The birthmarks continue to multiply and Ciera often discovers new ones. But she is an inspiration to us all when she says: “I’m so proud to be different and, at the end of the day, we all have something about us that’s unusual, whether it’s on the inside or the outside.”
She has also connected with others over the internet born with similar skin disorders, and is planning to organize a meeting for everyone to meet in person.
Today, Ciera surrounds herself with friends who love her for her personality and not her unusual skin.
Today she is 19 years old and has learned to live with her uniqueness. “Everyone is born to look different, and we should all feel beautiful in our own skin,” the wise 19-year-old told the Daily Mail.
Removing the marks was never an option, as there were simply too many.
Source: Facebook: ciera.swaringen
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