Most people would prefer to live under the radar of the public eye. Strangers can be so cruel and judgemental that we all try to hide what makes us unique. Some people with medical conditions even try to hide their symptoms from their loved ones to seem “normal.” Meagan Barnard is a young woman dealing with a crippling self-esteem condition, who at one point even tried to hide it from her boyfriend.
Shocking Diagnosis
Imagine keeping a secret from someone who is supposed to know everything about you. Meagan Barnard has been dealing with lymphodema for many years, but most of her close friends had no idea until a few years ago that she had had enough of hiding her true self. Meagan is now 31 years old, and her inspirational story has been circling its way through our screens for quite some time now. It is amazingly inspirational to hear how people overcame their insecurities and learned how to love themselves, regardless of society’s expectations.
When Megan Barnard turned 15 years old, she was diagnosed with lymphedema. A rare condition that causes water retention. The result was that her left leg was swollen to double the size of her right. “Being diagnosed with lymphedema at 15 was extremely hard for me,” said Megan in a 2016 interview with People. “I was at an age where all anyone wants is to fit in. For a very long time, my condition made me feel like I was less of a person, that I wasn’t normal like the other students my age. I felt like I belonged in the circus for the way that I looked.”
The diagnosis mean that she was no longer able to dance. Megan had been a passionate baton twirler in her youth. She said, “Prior to having lymphedema, I was a baton twirler, dancer, and basketball player. I enjoyed being in the spotlight and performing. Lymphedema took that away from me.”
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Meagan Barnard can certainly keep a secret
Having a leg double the size of your other leg is bound to cause insecurities. For Meagan Barnard, this was definitely the case. So, she tried her utmost best to keep her condition a secret. She didn’t like going out in public setting that would mean she would have to reveal her legs. “I was afraid to go public for a long time, because I felt like people wouldn’t want to be in my life if they knew that I had lymphedema,” she said. “I fought hard to keep it a secret because I didn’t want anyone to judge me for something that was beyond my control.”
This proved a little tricky when she started dating her boyfriend, Robert. The one person who was meant to accept every part of her. On one vacation, Meagan Barnard decided it was time to give up being self-conscious about her lymphedema. So, she flaunted her body unapologetically. While Robert was snapping some pics of her by the pool, he noticed her swollen leg. Instead of running, he embraced her. This was the catalyst for her sharing her story with the world around her.
“In July, I read a quote that said, ‘The world changes in direct proportion to the number of people willing to be honest about their lives,’” said Meagan. “I realized that by hiding my lymphedema, I am not benefiting myself or anyone else that is dealing with this condition. I’d like to think that being open and honest about who I am will make a difference to someone with lymphedema or any physical ailment.”
GoFundMe for Meagan Barnard
According to Mayoclinic, “Lymphedema refers to tissue swelling caused by an accumulation of protein-rich fluid that’s usually drained through the body’s lymphatic system. It most commonly affects the arms or legs, but can also occur in the chest wall, abdomen, neck and genitals.”
Megan planned to undergo multiple surgeries in the hopes to fix her condition. This required a large sum of money. So, she created a GoFundMe page to help raise the $44,000. Now, she posts updates on her Instagram account on how the surgery went. As shown in the picture below, the swelling has improved over time.
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Sources
- “24-Year-Old Woman on Rare Condition That Causes Extreme Swelling in Her Right Leg: ‘I Felt Like I Belonged in the Circus’. People. Gabriella Olya. February 10, 2016.
- “Woman Has One Leg That’s Double the Size of the Other… But Her Boyfriend Doesn’t Care.” Inside Edition. February 23, 2016.
