She was a normal working woman. The disease changed her life once and for all
Mary Ann Bevan was born in 1874 and led a normal, working-class life. She worked as a nurse and in 1903 she married Thomas Bevan, with whom she had four children. Though nothing foreshadowed the disease, at the age of 32, a rare endocrine disease caused by the excess secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland called acromegaly, made itself felt and changed a woman’s life forever.
She lost her job because of her appearance. Mary Ann Bevan entered the “World’s Ugliest Woman” competition to support her family
As a result of the progressive disease, the appearance of Mary Ann Bevan was constantly changing, which made her a growing laughing stock not only among patients but also among her colleagues at the hospital. Eleven years after the wedding, the woman’s partner died unexpectedly, and it was her sole responsibility to raise her children and maintain the house. At the age of 40, the woman lost her job as a nurse because of her appearance. Wanting to support her family financially, she decided to take part in a competition for “the ugliest woman in the world”.
Mary Ann Bevan won the competition and was awarded £ 50 for it. Due to the fact that the appearance of a woman aroused great interest, and she lived in the late Victorian era, which treated the circus as one of the highest forms of entertainment, she was employed not only in circuses, but also in the American “freak show” belonging to the Dreamland amusement park on Coney Island in New York, where she performed with, among others bearded woman or Siamese twins. Mary Ann Bevan died at the age of 59, and shortly before her death, she asked the children to bury her in her native England.
Source: Gazeta
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
