When Lexie’s husband, Cameron, learned that his parents had lost their jobs and would have to leave their home, he was deeply troubled. Lexie felt for him and decided to let her mother take them in, even though they didn’t have room themselves.
Cameron’s parents, Jessica and Roger, moved into Lexie’s mother’s spacious home, which was already adapted for her mother’s wheelchair needs. Initially, things seemed to go smoothly, with Jessica cooking meals and Roger helping with yard work. However, that didn’t last long.
Soon, they started to complain about their living situation. They were unhappy that Lexie’s mother occupied the first floor and criticized the simple meals she provided. Despite finding jobs, Jessica as a librarian and Roger as a proofreader, they refused to buy their own groceries.
Concerned for her mother, Lexie noticed that Jessica and Roger were even suggesting that her mother move to a nursing home. When Lexie confronted her mom about it, her mother assured her that she could handle the situation.
A few days later, Lexie’s mother told Jessica and Roger to pack up and move downstairs, claiming she needed a nursing home. However, instead of moving to the first floor, her mother called social services for help.
The next day, social workers arrived, ready to assist Jessica and Roger in finding social housing. They were furious and confronted Lexie and Cameron. Jessica shouted that it was unfair, while Roger claimed they had done so much for Lexie’s mother.
Cameron felt torn between his parents and his wife, but Lexie defended her mother, reminding them that they had taken advantage of her kindness. Despite their protests, Jessica and Roger were told they would have to find their own way.
Though angry, they were eventually placed in a small apartment near their jobs. Afterward, Cameron worried it was all his fault, but Lexie reassured him that his parents had been ungrateful.
That night, Lexie suggested they visit his parents to check on them. The next day, they found Jessica and Roger surrounded by unpacked boxes and the smell of burnt toast. They admitted to their wrongdoings and realized they had taken advantage of Lexie’s mother.
Cameron expressed his disappointment in them, explaining how their behavior affected him. Lexie stayed quiet, allowing Cameron to speak his mind while they all shared a meal. On their way home, Cameron stopped to buy flowers for Lexie’s mother, showing his appreciation for her kindness.
“People Only Know Me as a Freak,” The Wolf Man Struggles to Find a Job Outside the Circus
Jesús Aceves has hypertrichosis, which makes his hair grow abundantly over his face and back. Because of his condition, he’s also known as The Wolf Man. But he’s tired of this alias and wants to live a normal life.
Meet Jesús Aceves, a 55-year-old man born with a condition called hypertrichosis, which means he has abnormal hair growth over his body, especially his face. Although married with kids, Jesús isn’t fully happy with his living conditions. He says he and his family suffer discrimination. In an interview, one of his kids mentioned, “People call me names, and they even tell their kids not to be my friends.”
© Chuy, El hombre lobo / Chuy, The Wolf Man / Facebook
He worked in the circus all his life, traveling through several cities. But now, he’s tired of being seen as a freak. As a consequence of years on the road, he’s been known as The Wolf Man.
Back home and not in the circus anymore, he’s facing another challenge: finding a “normal” job. He needs to support his family since his wife works in temporary jobs.
After several failed job interviews, he agreed to try something he had always avoided: shave his face. He relied on his family barber to transform him, even creating eyebrows and lashes.
The experience was difficult since the face is an extremely sensitive body area, but both he and his wife believed that simply by shaving, he would be able to find a job.
Jesús did several interviews, and it’s confident that now he’ll find somewhere to work besides the circus. If this happens, he must shave his face every 2 days.
Although rare, some conditions aren’t impossible to have. Luckily, people find a way to overcome the difficulties a rare condition brings and strive in life. Hannah Tyre, for example, was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, meaning that her bones break very easily. But her love for makeup made her an internet influencer, reaching millions of followers. We hope that, by reaching the mainstream media, people with genetic diseases won’t suffer more discrimination.
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