The inspiring self-portrait Rebecca Dann wants you to see
A WOMAN nicknamed ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ has just won an award from Stephen Hawking for this inspiring photo.
A BRAVE woman who was called the ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ because of her severely curved spine has been presented an award by Professor Stephen Hawking for her inspiring self-portrait.
Rebecca Dann, 22, suffers from a condition called Kyphoscollosis, an abnormal curvation of the spine.
She was first diagnosed with the condition when she was a child and at worst her badly twisted spine left her unable to walk unaided.
For years the pretty photography student grew her hair and hid her body behind baggy clothes in a bid to hide her disability and be seen as “normal”.
Rebecca, from Farnborough, Hampshire, said, “This has always just been my life as far as I can remember.
“I was nine years old when I was first put into a wheelchair, my leg started to drag along the floor and I would fall over a lot.
“Eventually I couldn’t walk without holding onto something. I then started using crutches until it was so bad that I had to start using a wheelchair. My mum was a huge support and helped me so much.”
“I eventually started to regain movement in my legs and feeling. I am now able to walk with a crutch. Not for very long or far but it’s something.
“But unfortunately, my spine is so sensitive that if I hit it, it paralyses me, and I never know how long for. Sometimes it’s for seconds, sometimes it’s for days, sometimes weeks. It’s happened to me a few times and is so scary when it happens, but I am learning to cope with it.”
Self-conscious about her body but wanting to find love, Rebecca joined dating sites, sometimes using photos which showed her disability and others where it wasn’t visible.
On the profiles where she had hidden her disability she received lots of interest but on the profiles where her disability was visible she received only negative comments.
It was this experience coupled with an upcoming project for her final year photography degree, that Rebecca took the decision to make herself and her disability the focus of the project.
Sat down, with her back to the camera, looking over her shoulder, Rebecca photographed herself showing the severity of her curved spine in a self-portrait she called ‘I’m Fine’.
She said, “when I uploaded photos just of my face with no indication of a disability I got lots of matches instantly and guys wanted to speak to me.
“As soon as I disclosed I had a disability they would disappear.
“The project developed from this, it was about showing myself and taking photos where my disability was visible with the hope of educating people.
“I wanted to educate people about disabilities, about scoliosis and about how to accept yourself and love yourself for who you are and to not pay attention to what the media portrays as beautiful.
“My disability should not take away the fact that people say I’m pretty. I have been told before that I am pretty but ‘it’s a shame about your back’ and that frustrates me.
“I also just wanted people to know that I am OK. I have my disability and that’s fine, you shouldn’t be afraid for me, you shouldn’t be scared to touch me, I won’t break.”
Rebecca entered her photograph into a competition called Disability Talk and won.
Prof Hawking was one of the judges for the competition and as part of her prize she got to meet him.
She said, “It was overwhelming really, to know that I was about to speak about my portrait to the most famous person there is and the most influential disabled person there is.
“He said that my photography was inspiring, and said ‘Congratulations’ to me which was lovely.”
“Since this project more and more people have come forward and told me they have had the same experiences. I was shocked by how many of those people told me they hide away and don’t like to go out in public because of their back. It’s devastating to hear.
“But to have had such a positive response from a photo where I am fully showing my back, scars and all to the world is just phenomenal.”