Arianna Faro, 25, has a hugely swollen left leg, foot and buttock, as well as 150 growths spanning her vagina and lower body.
The growths vary in size from the size of a penny to a pin prick.
She suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome,
an ultra-rare illness which has seen her admitted to hospital 120
times, where she has undergone 60 bouts of "barbaric" surgery.
The
condition, which affects the development of blood vessels, soft
tissues, and bones, has three characteristic features: a red birthmark
called a port-wine stain, abnormal overgrowth of soft tissues and bones,
and vein malformations.
But despite this, the psychology
student, who hopes to train as a therapist and treat people with
obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, remains incredibly
positive.
"As I grow my already swollen limbs grow – they get bigger with me,"
she said. "But these things are sent to test us. I have struggled in the
past but I know I am strong and brave.
"From the waist up I look like your typical 25-year-old girl – but from the lower back down it's something different.
"I can never recall a time in which I was not sick or in a momentous amount of pain.
"Having
been born into this lifestyle, I was always privy to experiencing
intense bouts of sickness, relentless pain, constant hospitalisation,
frequent surgeries and tiresome recoveries.
"Despite these unrelenting obstacles, though, I had the best childhood in which a girl could have ever asked for."
Arianna, who is still a virgin because she is scarred down below, is currently dating a man who knows about her condition.
She said he remains keen, and they are taking their relationship slowly.
And despite the painful daily battle her condition puts her through, she knows she is beautiful.
"Different is beautiful," she said. "Bravery is beautiful. I want people to know that."
Arianna, who is gradually losing her mobility and is currently
reliant on a wheelchair, has recounted her journey on her Instagram and
Facebook pages called One Limp at a Time.
There, she has published candid pictures of her distorted limbs.
She
continued: "I know some people will find them shocking, but it's the
reality of the illness and I have absolutely nothing to be ashamed
about.
"This is what I have to live with, so I see no reason not to publish pictures of it and inspire people."
Speaking
about her illness, Arianna, who was diagnosed the day she was born,
explained that all sufferers are impacted differently, but that
generally, they struggle to drain fluid from their limbs, causing uncomfortable swelling .
Other side effects include the development of varicose veins as well as lumps of fatty tissue spreading all over the body.
She
said the biggest misconception about her case is that it's confined to
her legs, when in reality it also impacts her feet, buttocks, genitalia
and back, and often sees her endure blood clots and gruesome bouts of
sepsis and cellulitis – an infection of the skin tissue. Because the syndrome is so uncommon, and largely unknown, she said
it's imperative that people like her speak up as much as they can in
order to garner awareness.
"I've probably had about 20
near-death experiences," she said. "But despite this I power on and am
engaged in life and my learning.
"I refuse to be defined by my condition.
"Sure,
my anomalies are a part of me, but they hardly equate to me as a whole.
When people think of me, I want them to think of me as a person who is
uplifting, and hopefully I can inspire others to be confident in their
own skin no matter how different they may look or feel."
