Mariah wasn’t concerned at first when an unusual spot appeared on her finger.
“I didn’t even notice until it started on my face, around my nose,” she explained.
But as it progressed, she was diagnosed with vitiligo, a condition that causes the loss of skin color across her body. It started when Mariah was just 13, and she’s had it ever since.
“I wasn’t happy when it started,” she said. “I already didn’t think [I] was perfect or good enough. I didn’t have the confidence to be seen.”
Being seen, though, is a big part of Mariah’s life. That’s because Mariah is a dancer, with aspirations to dance professionally.
“I was always worried that having the skin condition that I do, I wouldn’t make it as a dancer,” she confessed.
“I didn’t want to be the girl with the skin condition … I was worried that people weren’t going to watch me.”
