The Canadian women suffers from a rare condition that has caused her facial features, hands and feet to grow. Photo / Instagram
The Canadian women suffers from a rare condition that has caused her facial features, hands and feet to grow. Photo / Instagram
As Rebecca Churan began to continuously grow over the years she believed it was the way she was ageing - unbeknown to her she had a rare hormonal disorder.
The 29-year-old from Ontario, Canada, suffers from growth in her facial features, notably her nose and chin, as a result of a rare disorder called acromegaly where the pituitary gland produces too much of the growth hormone.
The condition also causes growth in her hands and feet.
An after and before comparison of Rebecca Churan
While her features began to rapidly change, her mental health deteriorated and her friends began to abandon her.
Over multiple years Churan was never given the right diagnosis from doctors so she was not able to understand why she was ageing the way she is.
"I told this doctor that my face was changing, and I was getting uglier, and that I didn't understand why I was gaining weight since I was barely eating," Churan told The Sun.
A 15-year timeline of her disorder. Photo / Instagram
Finally, after several doctor visits, she was given the correct diagnosis after they detected a tumour inside her brain.
Churan was prescribed medication which successfully halted the growth in her face as she waited to have the tumour removed.
The Canadian woman now uses Instagram as a platform to raise awareness of the rare disorder where she has posted multiple before and after photos to document the severity of her disorder.
"I am extremely thankful to get a second chance at a healthy life," The youth worker shared in a post.
"You can either feel sorry for yourself or find positives to help you continue to fight forward."
Since her successful operation, Churan has noticed a difference in her features as they began to shrink, as well as being able to lose weight, The Sun reports.
Despite it being likely that she will go back to her former self, she is accepting a chance at a "second" life.
