"Just a pretty chick with a big leg, that's all."
Mahogany Geter was born with a rare condition that affects her leg.
Brut filmmaker Léo Hamelin met with the body positivity model and "Lymph Goddess" who is helping others accept their bodies ... as she embraces her own.
Mahogany Geter was born with a rare condition that affects her leg.
Brut filmmaker Léo Hamelin met with the body positivity model and "Lymph Goddess" who is helping others accept their bodies ... as she embraces her own.
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CreativityTranscript
00:00Hi everybody, it's your girl, Mahogany.
00:11Just a pretty chick with big legs, that's all.
00:14There you go, perfect.
00:15Let me switch up the light please.
00:17Perfect, one, two, three.
00:20There you go, perfect.
00:28Just a bad chick with lymphedema.
00:34It's time to say, hey world, look at me.
00:43Mahogany Getter is a 24-year-old who was born with lymphedema.
00:47It's a condition that causes swelling due to a blockage in the lymphatic system.
00:52For Brut, I traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee to see how she's become a role model for body positivity.
01:00You think I should go ahead and wrap my leg up before we go?
01:03No.
01:05No?
01:06Mm-mm.
01:07Why?
01:08This will take too long.
01:09Plus, there's no point.
01:13That's cold.
01:14I'm wearing shorts.
01:15How do you feel?
01:16Just let your leg show.
01:18I ain't worried about my leg show.
01:21Can you help me tie my shoes, Huggie?
01:23Girl, you can tie your shoes.
01:25I can't.
01:26I can't.
01:27It's too tight.
01:28Now you have to help me be my support.
01:31Okay.
01:32Support system.
01:33Yay.
01:34Okay.
01:35Yeah.
01:36Be careful, Huggie.
01:38Let me tie it for you.
01:40I can tie my shoes.
01:42Oh, you love your big sister.
01:44No.
01:45Yeah, you do.
01:46Yeah.
01:47Yeah.
01:48And no.
01:50I love you, too, but no.
01:52Yes.
01:53No.
01:54No.
01:55Mwah.
01:56Love ya.
01:57Go put some shoes on.
01:58I don't want to.
01:59Ugh.
02:00Hey.
02:06On the way to the shoe store to get some new shoes.
02:10Yeah.
02:11It was just a bank.
02:13Wizard of Oz.
02:15Wizard of Oz.
02:16Okay.
02:17Okay.
02:19Because, you know, I can only wear shoes that are really wide.
02:22Have you ever had slides before?
02:24No.
02:25That is so disrespectful.
02:28You should be able to wear slides.
02:31That's not fair.
02:32Never.
02:33She said that sounds disrespectful.
02:35It is.
02:36It's not fair either.
02:37You got to talk to shoe companies, baby.
02:40Now, shopping for shoes for my lymphedema, I have to get two different pairs, and I usually
02:46have to get the extra wide.
02:49Let's go to men's.
02:52So I can have some LeBron-type shoes, but come to find out, they fit me perfectly because
02:58they're wide enough.
03:00Mmm.
03:02I kind of like these.
03:03I got to take all the strings out and then put my foot in there.
03:06But I can fit them.
03:07I'm so happy.
03:08It's really the little things with lymphedema that can make you so happy.
03:12But yay.
03:14Nine and a half and a 13.
03:19Time to re-knees up.
03:21Yay.
03:22Look how cute they are.
03:29I'm so proud.
03:30I mean, I am just really baffled to watch her do what she do.
03:38You know, promoting body positivity, really stepping out in front of the camera.
03:45I was nervous for her, but when she got such positive feedback, I'm very proud of her.
03:52I have to say.
03:54I love you too, Mommy.
03:56I think the only thing that I can say about it is I never made her feel ashamed of it.
04:04I never hid it.
04:06She still wore her shorts.
04:08She still wore dresses.
04:10That's the only part that I did in it, is not making her feel ashamed of it and still
04:16treating her like a normal child.
04:20But what gets me is the reaction.
04:23The, oh my God.
04:26Yeah.
04:27The hair.
04:28People do be real dramatic with it.
04:30That is true.
04:31Yeah.
04:32And the pointing and the, look.
04:35Yeah.
04:36You know, that's the only thing that gets me.
04:39Yeah, I know people want to look because it's something they've never seen before.
04:43Look at it and then keep it moving.
04:47Don't do all the extras.
04:49They should just realize that there's not one type of body.
04:55There's more like different bodies.
04:57I get what you're saying.
04:59Not all sets of bodies are being promoted though, if you think about it.
05:03It teaches them a lot to watch what she goes through.
05:07You know, the good and the bad.
05:09It teaches them the good, how the world can be, and how cruel the world can be.
05:13Yeah.
05:14You know, they're getting to see both sides.
05:16Because nobody's perfect, but when you're willing to put yourself out there and all
05:20your flaws, it's like they got room to judge, pretty much.
05:25But now you're fine.
05:26Speak your piece.
05:27How come you be judging and don't even have the room to be talking?
05:30Period.
05:31Girl, boo.
05:32Go on somewhere.
05:33Boo.
05:34Don't try it.
05:35Tomatoes.
05:36Tomatoes.
05:37Tomatoes.
05:38No, because they be extra.
05:39Saying all that stuff where you're telling me that you're going to be able to be successful
05:42in life if you ain't on this person.
05:44If you don't go on somewhere, just like your scroll.
05:47It's that easy.
05:48Like your scroll.
05:53Okay, so this is the lymphopress pump, and pretty much it's like one big air chamber.
06:06Yeah, it kind of applies pressure and kind of squeezes the leg, not too tight.
06:11And it sends the fluid back through your system.
06:16Yeah.
06:17How often do you have to do it?
06:20Pretty much every day for two hours.
06:32Yeah, I might think I'm weird, but like I would just search my condition or I would
06:38just look at the pictures.
06:39Yeah, I'm a little bit weird.
06:42If you look over to your right, there's the pictures.
06:49Primary lymphedema is a rare condition.
06:53Reading on that, it said that disease begins when you're like a baby and that your lymph
06:59nodes form abnormally.
07:02The one I have affects one in 100,000 individuals.
07:07Damn.
07:08Gotta put a positive spin and be like, you know what?
07:11I'm just rare.
07:12I'm a special breed.
07:13I'm a rare type of.
07:16It already pulls my fluid downward, which would like, of course, make my leg bigger.
07:35The more the better because the more pressure.
07:47It was a lot of trial and error.
07:49My mom did her best to research what she could.
07:55It seemed like nobody knew what to do.
07:59Nobody knew how to cure it, which really now figuring out there isn't a cure, but no one
08:04knew how to manage it.
08:06And there was like no help.
08:08It's kind of like we had to go and fend for ourselves.
08:11That was the frustrating part.
08:14We are now about to go to my doctor's appointment.
08:19Okay, y'all.
08:20I am currently in therapy.
08:23Like you see the bed.
08:27Oh, why are you looking at me?
08:29Viewers, you're supposed to look at.
08:33Shout out to the therapist that's helping my big sister because she's amazing.
08:38I've been through this situation so much when I was younger and you would think I'd
08:43be used to it by now.
08:44But now it's like, I don't know.
08:47It kind of brings back butterflies or nervousness.
08:53Y'all should be proud of me.
08:54Be proud of me.
08:55I'm I'm getting there.
08:57I'm getting there.
09:01Felt very alone, especially when I was a kid.
09:06It was like a whirlwind of stuff.
09:08Doctor appointments, people staring at me all the time, my own insecurities.
09:15It felt like what's wrong with me?
09:17And like, am I like some type of weird alien?
09:19Like, I don't know.
09:21And then when it came to like school, either the people I thought were friends will point
09:27out my condition or later on, like when I was in high school, some girl didn't like
09:33me and she called me a deformed B word.
09:36So every once in a while, it's, they'll pick at the condition, I guess to be a low blow.
09:45And then when it's like, when it came to dating, it was like, guys really wasn't that interested
09:51in you.
09:52Or it's like, before we met each other in person, back when I was posting like half
09:58book pictures, it's like they all like my face and we'll talk, little puppy, puppy dog
10:05love, develop feelings.
10:07And then we'll meet and I think everything's good.
10:09And then boom, it like blew up in my face.
10:17Scorpio season, the best season just passed.
10:21But your girl is 24 now.
10:24I am turning into an adult.
10:27I work at Walmart as a overnight stalker.
10:32And boy, let me tell you, bitch, you be having me tired.
10:39I be tired.
10:40Okay.
10:41I don't be tired.
10:42I be tired.
10:47I was a cashier and I was at Walmart.
10:50A photographer had hit me up.
10:52He was like, I want to take some pictures of you.
10:56And, you know, I thought it was fake because I was like, what type of, you know, when are
11:02you going to be working?
11:03And somebody be like, hey, I want to take pictures of you.
11:05You won't believe that?
11:06No.
11:07Duh.
11:08So, I don't know, the gears in my head kind of got to turning.
11:12And I was like, maybe it's time, like, I post my full body out there because for the longest,
11:21I only post from the waist up because I didn't like, you know, having one leg bigger than
11:27another or I didn't really like myself, if that makes sense.
11:31So, yeah.
11:32So, I thought maybe it's time to say, hey, world, look at me.
11:41I really love the modeling and I can't wait to get back into it.
11:45I'm excited because y'all can't wait to be a bad bitch again.
11:50It's the Rihanna lingerie.
11:54I definitely wanted to find something cute because I was like, if I'm going to do this
11:58type of shoot, like, I'm going to have to make myself look good.
12:03Because ain't no way.
12:05I've been thinking about this for literally like a year.
12:09But I was scared and then now I just finally got to the point like, come on now, can't
12:14be scared anymore.
12:15I will make this work.
12:16Oh, this is That Boy Is Mine.
12:21Yes, the original.
12:22That boy is mine.
12:26I'm gonna need the high.
12:27You seem to be confused.
12:31He belongs to that.
12:32Sing it, girl.
12:36That Xbox is playing with me.
12:38That boy is mine.
12:41I feel like I was like depressed and kind of putting yourself out there.
12:46It takes a weight off your shoulders.
12:48The intent is really to love my body more.
13:02Yes, I've gotten comfortable with myself.
13:06I guess I wanted to more like embrace myself more.
13:11And I've seen other beautiful women do it and they feel like so confident and like sexy.
13:16And I was like, I want to do it.
13:20I want to do that.
13:21Like, why can't that be me?
13:24Yeah.
13:25Oh, yeah.
13:26Mama, you know I ain't gonna bother you much.
13:28I think you done already helped me a lot.
13:36Oh, this is lovely.
13:41This place is so cool.
14:06No, I'm just saying, you know, I just want you to be in your vibe, you know what I'm saying?
14:10I think that's why I like it.
14:12Because it helps me unlock a confidence I didn't know I have.
14:15Like, it's like my own little safe space.
14:22Just stretch out your arm back here.
14:23Yup, kind of bring it around to the front instead of on the side.
14:26There you go, perfect.
14:27And then your other hand kind of go back around.
14:29It shocks me.
14:30Because I see my own pieces.
14:32I be like, is that me?
14:34That ain't me.
14:36No.
14:37Oh, that really is me.
14:39There you go.
14:40Perfect, perfect.
14:41Tiptoe a little bit more with that leg right there.
14:43Just that one, just that one.
14:45Promote body positivity and tell everyone, like, hey, you're beautiful just the way you are.
14:57I don't know, I'm just genuinely happy with being me.
15:01It's so simple, but it's so hard for people to grasp that.
15:04You look so good.
15:11Lauren, you might know what to do.
15:12I love you.
15:15Mama of the year.
15:19My mom, she constantly tells me throughout this whole process how proud of me she is.
15:25And I'm probably cheesing real hard because it's like, I don't know,
15:27this is like the best feeling of hearing your parents say how proud they are of what you're doing.
15:34My sisters are like my little security guards slash cheerleaders.
15:39Yeah, I'm lucky and I'm blessed to have my mom and my sisters.
15:43And hopefully, if I be successful with it, I'm buying my mom a house.
15:54Y'all done made me do a split.
15:57And my legs need healing.
15:58Hey, get back on the skateboard.
16:00When you fall, never give up, they say.
16:02There you go.
16:03I'm not going down.
16:04Yeah.
16:05Probably.
16:06Somebody gonna throw up.