Today I'm Revealing My Tumors In Public | BORN DIFFERENT
SUBSCRIBE to Truly: http://bit.ly/Oc61Hj
A WOMAN with tumours all over her face and body has overcome cruel comments to finally revealing herself in public. Alex Lee, from Florida, was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis when she was in middle school. She first started developing tumours on her chest and stomach area but they then spread all over her body. This severely affected Alex's confidence and self esteem to the point where she would hide and cover up her skin as much as possible. She told Truly: "I felt like I wanted to hide my tumours because I didn't want to make other people feel uncomfortable". Alex's confidence was also affected by some cruel and extremely negative comments from people. She said: "They'll look at you and be like, 'Ew what is that? Why do you look like that?' I've even had somebody ask me if I'm contagious". Alex says that despite her growing confidence she still suffers with her self esteem and can still have days where she wants to hide herself away. Today was a huge day for Alex, as she decided to head to the beach with partner Anthony in order to reveal her tumours to the public. She said: "I wanna wear something cute and revealing, I'm gonna go without my shirt, without my shorts, I'm just going to be free!"
Follow Alex here:
https://www.instagram.com/locs_nochains/
Videographer: Gerrit Messersmith
Producers: Adam Fleet, James Thorne
Editor: Giulia Bassanese
A WOMAN with tumours all over her face and body has overcome cruel comments to finally revealing herself in public. Alex Lee, from Florida, was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis when she was in middle school. She first started developing tumours on her chest and stomach area but they then spread all over her body. This severely affected Alex's confidence and self esteem to the point where she would hide and cover up her skin as much as possible. She told Truly: "I felt like I wanted to hide my tumours because I didn't want to make other people feel uncomfortable". Alex's confidence was also affected by some cruel and extremely negative comments from people. She said: "They'll look at you and be like, 'Ew what is that? Why do you look like that?' I've even had somebody ask me if I'm contagious". Alex says that despite her growing confidence she still suffers with her self esteem and can still have days where she wants to hide herself away. Today was a huge day for Alex, as she decided to head to the beach with partner Anthony in order to reveal her tumours to the public. She said: "I wanna wear something cute and revealing, I'm gonna go without my shirt, without my shorts, I'm just going to be free!"
Follow Alex here:
https://www.instagram.com/locs_nochains/
Videographer: Gerrit Messersmith
Producers: Adam Fleet, James Thorne
Editor: Giulia Bassanese
Transcript
00:00I've had somebody ask me, was I contagious before?
00:03I felt like I wanted to hide the tumors
00:07because I didn't want to make other people uncomfortable.
00:11I'm like, I probably shouldn't completely unclothe myself,
00:15you know, when I go to the pool or to the beach.
00:19Today, I get to go hang out at the beach.
00:22I want to wear something cute and revealing.
00:24I'm going to go without my shorts.
00:28I'm just going to be free.
00:32My condition is neurofibromatosis.
00:35It started probably in middle school.
00:38They start to like grow in size and grow in number.
00:41The tumors first started appearing probably
00:46like the chest, belly area, I believe.
00:50Hiding my skin, like hiding my, you know, self.
00:53I have a couple of like shirts that are like turtleneck,
00:58wearing long jeans on a hot day.
01:00If I could wear long sleeve, I would wear long sleeve shirts.
01:04I've always kind of wanted to cover up
01:07to avoid having to explain.
01:09I didn't want to make other people like uncomfortable.
01:13And I didn't want them to further make me feel
01:18not confident in myself.
01:19You have those people that were just cruel,
01:22like they'll look at you and be like,
01:25oh, what is that?
01:26You know, why you look like that?
01:27And I've had somebody ask me, was I contagious before?
01:31It's still difficult.
01:33It's a work in progress, like every single day.
01:37Some days I have good days and I'm like, girl, you bad.
01:41And then other days I'm in the mirror like,
01:44this big old bubble in my face is just getting on my nerves.
01:48I hate it.
01:49I hate everything.
01:50But I'm thankful that as I grow in age and maturity
01:54and wisdom and all of that good stuff,
01:56that I'm like, forget, forget whatever it is
02:00that's causing me to feel this way.
02:02My own irrational thoughts,
02:04the opinions of other people, forget it.
02:07I want to be just as free as the bikini wearing
02:10and crop top and sports bra wearing girls
02:14that nobody questions.
02:16Today is the big day.
02:18I get to go hang out at the beach.
02:20I want to wear something cute and revealing.
02:22I'm going to go without my shirt, without my shorts.
02:26I'm just going to be free, like normal.
02:30My boyfriend and my daughter, oh my gosh,
02:32I wish she was here so you guys can meet her.
02:35My daughter, she's a major confidence builder for me too.
02:39Every day she tells me she loves me.
02:41Mommy, mommy, I love you.
02:45Every day she tells me how beautiful her mommy is.
02:49When I met Anthony, my boo, close to you,
02:55I met him at work and literally it's been five years
02:59since that time.
03:01First waking up in the morning,
03:03the first thing he tells me is,
03:05babe, you're so beautiful.
03:07He calls this one, the meatball.
03:11And they do not want me to remove it
03:12for anything in the world.
03:14It's so perfect.
03:16It's so weird.
03:19I believe she's absolutely gorgeous.
03:21So when she covers herself up
03:24and I know that she doesn't really want to,
03:27I'm usually the one that's just like,
03:29don't do that, don't do that.
03:30Be you, be the best you.
03:32And if you do that and go at her confidently,
03:36just the same way I see you're beautiful,
03:38your beauty is going to be undeniable
03:40to anybody else who sees it.
03:42I want to show more because I can.
03:47I mean, I can.
03:48Like, why not?
03:49Just slightly nervous.
03:51Just, you know, it's the weekend.
03:53So if it's a lot of people there,
03:55I don't really want that vibe of, you know,
03:58where people stopping and looking,
04:00but I'm excited.
04:02I'm excited to go to the beach.
04:03I like this one.
04:06If there is any point in time
04:10where you're ready to learn
04:12or where you're ready to have an open conversation,
04:15then my doors are wide open.
04:19I actually am a little bit more anxious
04:21than I anticipated.
04:22There's a lot more people here
04:24than I thought would be.
04:26Gonna be like some unveiling.
04:40I am incredibly proud of Alex,
04:59and she's come an incredibly long way.
05:02I know it's been a journey.
05:03Now that I'm not hiding my body anymore,
05:06I feel normal.
05:08I feel like I belong here.
05:13I get to put my story out there,
05:15and I get to be in a position
05:17to kind of let other, you know, ladies and guys know,
05:21like, if you have something going on
05:23that people can physically see about you
05:25that is outside of normal,
05:28you know, what we call normal,
05:30you are still fabulous.
05:31You are still beautiful.
05:33You should let your light shine,
05:35you know, for the world to see.
05:36So, the future for me and Anthony,
05:41he better put a ring on it, you know.
05:46I'm just kidding.