Woman with rare condition says she can't go anywhere without people staring
A woman with a one-in-a-million health condition has opened up about her daily struggles. Chelsea Langerud says she is met with 'constant' stares whenever out in public due to her appearance.
The 22-year-old was diagnosed with Oculo-facio-cardio-dental syndrome (OFCD) - a rare multiple congenital condition affecting the ears, mouth, eyes and face - at an early age. This has led to a lifetime of surgeries, including 20 eye operations by the time she was just one, and countless more since, reports the Mirror.
However, the most challenging part of her life has been dealing with the attention drawn by her features, including her prosthetic eye. "My reality is that nearly every day I am met with exaggerated looks, confused stares and curious comments," Chelsea, a graphic design student from San Diego, California, shared with NeedToKnow.
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"While difficult circumstances come and go, one of the hardest obstacles I've had to overcome has been the social experiences I've encountered. Some days I may feel that the best approach to confronting someone is attempting to educate them by responding to their comments or explaining my situation.
"Whereas another day, I may feel the best option is to hold my head high and keep on walking. I aim to educate others in these moments and understand curiosity, [but] being on the other end of these daily interactions quickly becomes exhausting. Throughout the years, I continuously learn just how little external images matter in the grand scheme of things."
Chelsea has had her fair share of health challenges, beginning when she was just a baby. Born with bilateral cataracts, her medical journey started with an operation at only six weeks old to remove them. This left her without any vision in her right eye after one surgery was unsuccessful.
Describing her early struggles, Chelsea said: "By the time I turned one, I'd already had 20 invasive eye surgeries. With cataract surgery removing the lens in my left eye, I now wear a high-powered, custom-made contact in my left eye along with glasses for protection."
She didn't just face issues with her sight, her dental health also posed significant challenges as her baby teeth would not fall out on their own, forcing her to undergo extractions. Chelsea explained: "Following these extractions, I wore braces for almost six years that helped improve the remaining teeth that were either missing or unaligned."
Her health battles have shaped much of her life, including affecting her schooling due to numerous doctor visits across and out of state, leading to a sense of self-consciousness about her appearance. It wasn't until 2009, at nine years of age, that she was formally diagnosed with OFCD syndrome by a geneticist, who noted her heart murmur among other symptoms relating to her eyes and teeth.
Despite the noticeable effects of her condition and the attention it can draw, Chelsea has learned to embrace how she looks, finding strength and positivity in her experiences. She said: "I once believed I differed greatly from everyone around me until I eventually realised that everyone carries a tremendous amount of similarities underneath it all.
"Coming towards a place of self acceptance has been an incredibly freeing journey. I can fully be myself without worrying I'll accidentally reveal a part of myself I had been trying to hide from others.
"Although I never had, and never will have, control over what life throws my way, the only control in my hands is the way I choose to respond and the lessons I learn from the situations I'm in."