‘I Am Shauna Rae’: Shauna Rae Describes the Emotional Fallout of Her Health Condition
TLC’s I am Shauna Rae looks at the life of Shauna Rae, a 22-year-old woman who says she is “trapped in the body of an 8-year-old.” Shauna describes how her health condition has impacted her emotionally.
Why did Shauna Rae stop growing?
When Shauna was 6 months old, her mother noticed a bump on the back of her head that turned out to be an aggressive brain cancer. She says the chemotherapy made her pituitary gland “almost dormant.”
As a result of the chemotherapy treatments at such a young age, Shauna stopped growing at 3 feet, 10 inches tall. She says her condition is a form of dwarfism called pituitary dwarfism.
Socializing is tough for Shauna Rae
Shauna says she finds socializing around adults to be distressing because she often gets stares. She’s also asked for identification a lot, especially when she goes to a bar or some other event where alcohol is served.
Shauna’s parents think she resents her older sister, Tara, because she’s moving on with her life. Tara, who is 24 years old, is engaged and looks much older than Shauna. “I think Shauna almost looks at it like Tara is leading the life she could have led had she been just a little bit taller,” they say.
Shauna says it has been difficult seeing her friends and family become more independent, but she doesn’t have any jealous feelings toward Tara. She does, however, think it’s unfair that her parents treat her differently from her sister.
Another aspect of her health condition that is tough is the impact it has on her mother. (RELATED: How Carrie Underwood sticks to her health plan.)
Shauna says strangers often approach her mother and complain whenever she wears a lot of makeup or is dressed provocatively. She knows this weighs heavily on her mother. Shauna’s mother says she feels guilty because she knows her daughter will never have a normal life. She says she tries to do the best she can for Shauna and give her the best life she can. However, she admits it’s hard not to “coddle” her.
Shauna wants to move out and be independent, but her mother worries about her being on her own. Shauna’s father compared her moving out to sending a glass figurine out into the world. He doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her. He says he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if she was harmed in any way.
Shauna Rae’s dating life
Shauna is dissatisfied with her love life. She says she tends to attract “creeps,” “bad boys,” and “idiots.” According to Shauna, her last relationship ended because her date was embarrassed to be seen in public with her. She says many of the people she dates don’t know how to deal with people staring at them. (Similarly, actor Jennifer Grey says she was treated differently because of her nose.)
Shauna wants to find love, so her sisters are helping her create an online dating profile. However, her stepfather is concerned because he says it’s difficult to decipher the intentions of potential suitors. Shauna says her love life “isn’t the best” because no one understands that she’s an adult. She often must explain herself.
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