Mahogany Geter, a 24-year-old aspiring model, was born with a rare condition that left her with a 100-lb leg. After a lifetime of facing difficulties, Geter’s life changed forever when she was offered a chance to model, starting her off on a journey of spreading the message of body positivity to others.
Bright Side found her story inspiring and a great example of how beauty can be found everywhere, and wanted to share Geter’s story of self-love with you.
She was born with a rare condition.
Mahogany Geter, a resident of Tennessee, was born with a rare condition that left her with a left leg that weighs 100 lb. The condition, known as lymphedema, can cause excess fluids to collect in the soft tissue of the body and lead to swelling. For Geter, her entire left side of the body is impacted by this, but only her leg is the most visible.
Geter was diagnosed with the condition right after she was born, and it made it extremely difficult for her to walk. “It drains my energy, of course, because it’s an extra 100 pounds,” she said. The condition makes her more susceptible to contracting fibrosis, and the only way to manage it is through physiotherapy and massages to drain the excess fluid in her leg.
She had a difficult time growing up.
The model talked about how she faced many difficulties growing up: “I’ve been through a very depressed state because you’re a little kid, and you have a bunch of grown adults staring at you.” She would receive many unwarranted comments from others and was teased throughout her childhood. “I will say it probably can affect you more mentally and emotionally,” she revealed.
“As a child, I never felt pretty. I felt ugly, like a freak of nature, and cried in private so many times,” said Geter. She had been suggested surgery by many doctors, but she turned it down every time, stating that in some other, more severe cases, surgery hadn’t completely gotten rid of the growth. Instead, she chose to accept herself as she was.
She began her modeling journey in 2017.
Geter’s life changed forever in 2017 when she was spotted by a photographer while she was working at Walmart. Initially thinking it was fake, the young woman eventually agreed to let the photographer take pictures of her. “I was like, ’I’m getting older now, maybe it’s time I start putting my full body out there,’ and hopefully me doing that can help somebody else,” she said.
This one opportunity catapulted Geter’s career as a model. Following this, she was featured in a viral YouTube video that amassed over 10 million views. Her presence on Instagram and other social media platforms has also increased. “Mainly, I’ve gotten a lot of positive responses, and the ones I like the most are that it helps people that also feel low about themselves,” she said.
She aims to help others embrace their unique bodies.
Despite her increased presence on the internet resulting in some Internet trolls, Geter has remained positive throughout, saying, “People have been so nice and supportive of me online. It isn’t all trolling and negativity.” She has remained consistent in spreading body positivity and encouraging others to be more comfortable in their bodies.
Geter is committed to her dream of becoming a model. “If I ever make it big, I want to buy my mother a house and take care of my family, then I’ll do everything I can to raise awareness of lymphedema to pay it back to everyone who has ever shown me kindness.” She continues to use her condition to inspire others to celebrate their differences as well.
Her journey has inspired many.
Although Geter’s journey has been hard, she has learned to accept herself and vows to spread this attitude to others. “For the longest, I felt so low about myself, but once I got older and with loads of support from the online lymphedema community and my mom who is my inspiration, I realized how beautiful I am. Not only looks, but as a person.”
What part of Mahogany Geter’s journey resonated with you the most? Do you have any advice for those that struggle to accept their bodies? Share it with us.
Preview photo credit lymph.goddess23 / Instagram, lymph.goddess23 / Instagram
Millionaire Mocks Poor Woman with 3 Kids on Business Class Flight until Pilot Interrupts Him — Story of the Day
A millionaire judges a mother-of-three and criticizes her for flying business class, but when the pilot announces their arrival with a special announcement for the woman, all his complaints are washed away.
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“Ugh! You can’t be serious! Are you really making her sit here?! Miss, you better do something about it!” Louis Newman grumbled as he noticed a mother-of-three approaching his adjacent seats with the assistance of a stewardess.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the stewardess replied gently, showing him the tickets. “These seats have been assigned to Mrs. Debbie Brown and her children, and we can’t do anything about it. I’d request you to kindly cooperate with us.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“You don’t understand, Miss! I have a crucial meeting with foreign investors. Her children will keep chit-chatting and making noises, and I cannot afford to lose this deal!”
“Sir….” The stewardess had just started speaking when Debbie interrupted her. “It’s all right. I can sit somewhere else if the other passengers are willing to swap seats with my children and me. That isn’t an issue for me.”
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“Not at all, ma’am!” the stewardess shot back. “You’re sitting here because you paid for it, and you have the right to be here! It makes no difference whether someone likes it or not, and sir,” she turned to Louis, “I’d appreciate it if you could be patient until the flight is over.”
Millionaire businessman Louis Newman was annoyed that the stewardess had refused his request, but what irritated him even more was that he was forced to sit next to a woman who seemed not to belong to the business class, wearing the cheapest clothes on the flight.
He put on his AirPods to avoid being forced into conversation with the woman and turned his face away as she sat beside him, having helped her children secure themselves tightly to their seats.
Soon, the boarding process was completed, with passengers settling into their assigned seats, and the flight took off. It was the first time Debbie and her children were flying business class, so as the flight left the runway for the skies, the children began chirping in joy. “Mom!” cried her daughter Stacey. “Look, we’re finally flying! Yay!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
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Some passengers on the plane turned to look at Stacey and smiled at her innocence, but Louis had a scornful expression on his face. “Listen,” he said as he faced Debbie. “Could you please ask your children to be quiet? Because I missed my previous flight, I’m joining a meeting from here. I don’t want any kind of disruption.”
“I’m sorry,” Debbie politely replied as she motioned for the children to remain quiet. Louis’s meeting lasted almost the entire flight, and as he spoke, Debbie realized he was a businessman who was mainly into the fabrics industry, as she could see he’d mentioned fabrics frequently and had a handbook with designs.
When Louis’s meeting was finished, Debbie approached him and asked, “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Louis didn’t want to talk to her, but since his meeting had gone well and the investors had agreed to the deal, he was quite pleased and let go of his arrogance. “Umm…Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
“I noticed you had a handbook with fabric samples and designs. Do you work in the clothing industry?”
“Uhhh…yeah, you could say that. I own a clothing company in New York. We just closed a deal. I hadn’t really hoped it would work, but it did.”
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“Oh, that’s lovely. Congratulations! Actually, I run a small boutique in Texas. It’s more of a family affair. It was started by my in-laws in New York. We recently opened a unit in Texas. I was really impressed with the designs you were presenting.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Louis gave her a sarcastic laugh. “Thanks, lady! But the designs that my company makes are not like some local or family boutique thing; we hire some of the best designers, and we just cracked a deal with the best designing company in the world! A BOUTIQUE, SERIOUSLY?!” He muttered loudly enough while smirking to mock Debbie.
“Oh, well,” Debbie felt humiliated by his comment, but she maintained her composure. “I – I understand. It must be something really huge for you.”
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“Something huge?” Louis smirked, shaking his head. “A poor woman like you would never understand what it means, but it was a million-dollar deal! Let me ask you this again,” he said after pausing for a brief while. “I mean, I saw your tickets and everything. I know you’re here flying business class with us, but trust me, you don’t look like someone who deserves to be here! Maybe try economy the next time and look for people who own boutiques like you?”
Debbie’s patience was wearing thin at this point. “Listen, sir,” she said sternly. “I understand; it’s my first time flying in business class, and I had trouble figuring out the check-in process and everything, but don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself? My husband is on the flight with us, but…”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
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Before Debbie could finish her sentence, an announcement over the intercom signaled their arrival at JFK. However, rather than turning off the intercom after his announcement, the pilot, Captain Tyler Brown, had something more to say.
“Also I would like to thank every passenger on this flight, especially my wife Debbie Brown, who is flying with us today. Debbie, honey, I can’t tell you how much your support means to me.”
Louis’s heart skipped a beat and his face flushed with embarrassment when he realized Debbie’s husband was a pilot on the flight.
“This is my first time flying an A-class flight, and I was nervous. Thank you to my wife, who assured me that everything would be fine and decided to accompany me despite her fear of flying in order to put my mind at ease. Today is my first day back at work after a long period of unemployment. My wife and I have never had it easy, and we’ve seen a lot of struggles in our lives, but I’ve never heard Debbie complain about her situation. So, on this day, which also happens to be the day we first met, which I believe my wife has forgotten, I’d like to propose to her again on this flight. DEBBIE, I LOVE YOU, HONEY!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
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Tyler broke the protocol and came out of the pilot’s cabin at this point, proposing to Debbie with a ring on his knees. “Would you like to spend the rest of your life with me again, Mrs. Debbie Brown?”
Everyone on the plane was now fixated on Debbie and her children, who appeared to be the most beautiful family ever. As Debbie nodded yes, teary-eyed, the passengers were all applauding, but Louis was standing there perplexed and embarrassed. But Debbie was not going to let him get away with it. She approached Louis before exiting the plane and said, “A materialistic man like you, who only thinks about money, would never understand how it feels to have a loved one around you. And yes, my husband and I live a humble life, but we are very proud of it!”
What can we learn from this story?
- Never judge a book by its cover. Louis judged Debbie just because she was not wearing expensive clothes like him. It wasn’t right of him to do so.
- True love still exists. Tyler and Debbie adored each other. Their self-sacrifices for one another and Tyler’s surprise gift for her are beautiful examples of this.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a widower who ran into his wife’s stepdaughter he never knew existed.
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