The story of a woman who became a public laughingstock for the sake of her children

A loving mother is willing to sacrifice her life for her children. Mary Ann Webster was one of them. She was not afraid to become the object of mockery, as she showed the public her unusual appearance. The poor woman had only one goal: to feed her children at all costs. Mary was insulted and humiliated by viewers, who wanted to see “the ugliest woman in the world”.

O awesome.club was impressed by the fate of this selfless and courageous woman, who became a heroine of her time.

At first, Mary’s life was nothing special. She was born in London to a large and poor family and had to start working early, even working as a nurse in a hospital. At that time, Mary was an attractive girl who dreamed of having a big family. And her dreams came true: at the age of 29, she married Thomas Bevan and soon gave birth to 4 children.

Soon Mary began to have health problems: migraines, muscle and joint pain. The doctors couldn’t understand what was happening to her body. However, the family demanded attention and care; therefore, she did not have time to take care of her own health.

The symptoms of her illness became increasingly obvious: the skull elongated, the facial bones became prominent, the hands became rough and the female forms began to disappear. Mary has totally lost her beauty.

The problem she faced is called acromegaly, a neuroendocrine syndrome associated with excessive production of growth hormone. The result is overgrowth of the body, enlargement of bones, internal organs and soft tissues, accompanied by headaches and muscle pain. Acromegaly usually occurs because of a benign pituitary tumor. In most cases, the disease is hereditary.

Today, doctors deal with the problem using various treatment methods. But in the early 20th century, Mary Ann had no chance of recovery. Every day, the woman saw her beauty go away.

Her husband, Mr. Bevan, supported his wife through the pain and did not even think of leaving her. But fate had its own plans for the spouses. After 11 years of marriage, Mary was left a widow with 4 children and practically no means of subsistence.

After her husband’s death, she accepted any job to feed her children. However, she could not find permanent employment because of her appearance. People on the streets reacted ambiguously to her appearance: some insulted her, mocked her and looked at her with disdain. Every public appearance was a challenge.

The family’s financial situation was getting worse, when Mary discovered that, in England, there was a contest for “the ugliest woman”. So, she decided to take a desperate step: enter the competition to win the top prize, a significant amount of money. She managed to win the dispute and, predictably, the press published several derogatory texts, sad to read.

Mary was able to do the impossible in that moment: turn her pain into a means to earn a steady, if emotionally difficult, income.

In 1920, the woman was invited to work in the United States at a circus and amusement park on Coney Island called dreamland🇧🇷 She participated in performances in which she flaunted her appearance. Mary had to act in bright costumes to further highlight her lack of attractiveness and the masculinity that, at that moment, her body already displayed.

In addition to her, other unusual-looking people participated in the spectacle: a woman with a beard, dwarfs, giants, conjoined twins. All were displayed to entertain the audience.

At that time, audiences were into cruel entertainment and Mary was one of the most popular performers in the company. God only knows how much it cost her to let her dignity be trampled on and forget that she had been a beautiful woman, but that she had become the object of mockery and humiliation. She endured all suffering for the sake of her children.

A family photo in which Mary appears with her children has been preserved: the eldest is dressed as a sailor; the youngest, in a suit; and her daughters, in modest dresses. In those days, studio photography sessions were expensive and some families would only take a few pictures for a lifetime. Perhaps this fact indicates that Mary was, first of all, a caring and affectionate mother, and only later became a circus actress in a show in which she was considered a kind of “monster”.

Until the end of her days, she worked in an American circus. During her lifetime, she had the opportunity to return to Europe only once: in 1925, she visited Paris, where she was invited to perform at the Universal Exhibition.

Unfortunately, patients with acromegaly rarely reach old age. Mary died in 1933, aged 59, but first asked her children to bury her in her native England. The cruel fate of this loving mother who did not bend under the weight of the title of “the ugliest woman in the world” proves, once again, that “he who climbs the mountain will conquer the path”.

Of course, it could be said that she had no other choice, and this was her only opportunity. But Mary did not hesitate to take risks and turn her illness into a source of income to support her family. Who knows what her fate would have been without this illness and without such courage. Most likely, we wouldn’t know anything about her.

Were you impressed by Mary’s fate? Leave your opinion in the comments!