I’m a model with a 100-pound leg — being different is beautiful

A rare condition has given one courageous woman a leg-up in life.

Mahogany Geter, 24, was born with an enlarged leg — now weighing about 100 pounds — and believes her difference is part of what makes her beautiful.

Geter lives with lymphedema, a chronic disease that causes parts of the body to swell due to lymph nodes that aren’t properly draining bodily fluids — meaning she’ll need regular physiotherapy and massages to drain the excess fluid for the rest of her life.

Though Geter’s lymphedema has affected the entire left side of her body, it’s her leg that bears the brunt of the condition.

Genetic lymphedema like Geter’s, which affects just one in 100,000 individuals, also leaves her at a higher risk of developing fibrosis, a painful and debilitating thickening or scarring of tissue.

The Tennessee resident was diagnosed with the condition just after birth, and it continues to make getting around difficult.

“It drains my energy, of course, because it’s an extra 100 pounds,” she told local NBC affiliate WBIR. “So when I say I’m not very fast, or my mobility is limited, it’s very true.”

She’s been on the receiving end of a lot of stares and unkind remarks, especially throughout her childhood.

“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,” Geter shared. “I will say it probably can affect you more mentally and emotionally.”

“As a child, I never felt pretty. I felt ugly, like a freak of nature, and cried in private so many times,” she added.

Many doctors suggested surgery, but in more severe cases the surgery didn’t get rid of the swelling completely, so she turned down the offer every time.

Geter decided the only way forward was to accept herself as she was and to promote body positivity — which is something she was able to start doing in 2017.

She was working at Walmart when a photographer approached her and asked her to take her picture.

“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,” Geter admitted.

She was originally hesitant to accept the offer, but eventually gave in and got her photos taken, which led to the start of her modeling career.

Geter has a large presence on social media, with a combined 47,000 followers across two Instagram accounts and one YouTube video with over 10 million views.

“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.

Geter hopes to continue her aspirations to become a model and to showcase her swollen leg to help others celebrate their differences. 

“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 shared.