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Journalism of Courage
Physical beauty is superficial and nothing proves this better than the inspiring story of Mary Ann Bevan, the English woman who came to be known as the “ugliest woman in the world”.
Bevan was born in a working-class family in 1874. In 1902, she got married and had four children with her husband. At the age of 32, she developed acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder that prompts the pituitary gland to produce excess growth hormone, leading to distortions like enlarged jaws, noses and limbs. And her husband died unexpectedly in 1914.
To take care of her family’s financial needs after her husband’s passing, Bevan began participating in circuses and freak shows in which people with biological rarities were displayed for a ticketed price.
According to the book American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History’s Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers, she was hired to appear in Coney Island’s Dreamland sideshow and went on to spend most of the rest of her life there. She also made appearances at the Ringling Brothers Circus until her death in 1933.
Earlier this week, Bevan’s story was shared by an Instagram page named Grief History (@griefhistory). The post went viral with over 19,000 likes. People were touched by the hardships Bevan had endured and impressed by her resourcefulness.
“What a strong woman! did everything she could to provide for her family. nothing could be more beautiful than mother’s heart. ♥️” an Instagram user commented.
