A British mother of two who has been bullied all of her life due to a rare skin condition has landed a modelling contract.
Cheryl Shaw has a rare skin condition, officially known as giant congenital malanocytic naevus, which causes dark moles to develop all over her body.
Cheryl, 34, was so ashamed of the spots that she covered them with makeup if they appeared on her face and wore long sleeves to hide her arms and tights to hide her legs.
Even in the height of summer.
But becoming a mother changed everything for Cheryl who decided it was high time she embraced her individuality and learned to like, if not love, the skin she was in.
She began to share images of herself with her moles and freckles on full display via social media in particular her Instagram account. And the pictures combined with her positive messages caught the eye of a modelling agent who specialises in models with a difference.
Cheryl signed up with the agency Models of Diversity and soon was in high demand. The tall, gorgeous Cheryl, says the move helped to ease the pain she had suffered during her childhood and teenage years when she was called cruel names including Dalmatian, Spotty and even Cookie.
She is now bold enough to wear shorts and go sleeveless in public and she is only becoming more confident as the days go by. Cheryl, who also manages a GP practice when she is not modelling, says her family is deeply proud of her move, particularly her sons, four, and 11.
Her own mother is overjoyed also. Cheryl, however, wants nothing more than to promote kindness, inclusivity and the concept that everyone is beautiful in their own way.
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