I’m Katie, and I have Kyphosis Scoliosis, which is a spinal condition that causes severe curvature of the spine in both the front-to-back and side-to-side directions.
My visible difference has impacted me in many ways. When I was younger, I was badly bullied, and it’s left me having to manage so much anxiety. A particularly horrific incident happened when I was at a swimming pool, and I haven’t been back to that pool since.
I wish I had more confidence than I do. Currently, I follow the “fake it ‘til you make it” motto, especially when it comes to wearing clothes that show off my visible difference.
I never used to wear clothes that would show my back or tight clothes that highlighted my visible difference too much. The stares I received from people made me uncomfortable, sometimes they still do, but here’s what I’ve learnt: people are going to stare no matter what I wear, so I might as well wear whatever I want!
Katie tries not to let stares bother her anymore
Staring is a common occurrence for me. After almost twenty years of living with a visible difference, staring has become like background noise, but some days the stares are a lot harder to deal with, especially when they’re obvious.
A few years ago, I had a horrible experience where I was a victim of a hate crime. Someone made vile comments to me on several different occasions while I was at work and if they saw me in public. It’s taken me a long time to process and heal from this.
However, I know that I’m not alone in this, and neither is anyone else who has faced similar treatment. We’re all beautiful in our own ways, and we can’t let ignorant people take away our confidence and happiness.
Knowing I’ve made a difference is such an incredible feeling.
I want to see more people in the media with a visible difference and I want that representation to be in a positive light. Too often, people with visible differences are portrayed as villains and victims. We’re so much more than that.
I’m tired of not seeing myself represented in society. There’s no excuse for brands and the media to not be using people with a visible difference in their campaigns, shows and films, which is why I support Changing Faces ‘A Face For Radio’ campaign. It’s 2025, they need to take note and make a change.
I’ve decided to take things into my own hands by creating the representation I want to see on social media. Since posting about myself and the challenges of living with Kyphosis Scoliosis, I’ve had people with similar visible differences reach out and tell me how much it means to them to see bodies like theirs online and that they feel less alone because of it. Knowing I’ve made a difference like that is such an incredible feeling.
Being a campaigner for Changing Faces has given me another route to make positive change. By speaking out, I hope I can make other people like me feel less alone.
