Watch the woman who was born without knees and became a makeup artist
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A woman, who was born with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) – a birth defect that affected her femur bones and knees, has become a makeup and hair artist.
Priscilla Miranda, from Orange County, California, went through several surgeries on her ankles and one of her feet.
The 31-year-old, who had insecurities while growing up as people would stare at her whenever she went out in public, has now accepted her imperfections and has become a makeup and hair artist.
Priscilla told Barcroft TV: “Being a make-up artist, I think it has definitely changed my view of myself. Ten years ago, if you’d asked me to do this interview, I probably would have said no.”
“I held my head up high and smiled, but inside I was probably the most insecure I’ve ever been in my whole entire life.”
Priscilla added: “I remember as a child going to stores with my mum and kids staring at me, adults pointing and looking at me.”
“I remember my mom constantly telling me: ‘Don’t cry, don’t let them get the best of you’, so I grew up with that mentality.”
Priscilla has been a professional makeup and hair artist for nearly 8 years. However, when she started her career as a makeup and hair artist, she was nervous and insecure.
She had doubts and was discouraged by people who would say, ‘it’s going to be hard for you to reach things, you’ll have to have a step that you’ll have to move all the time.’”
But, after getting compliments on her own make-up, she felt confident and decided to pursue a career as a makeup and hair artist.
She said: “The condition I have is extremely rare. I have PFFD, it’s a disorder with my femur bones. I’m missing both my femurs and I’m also missing me knees.”
“Day-to-day life is being very aware of where I’m going because not having knees I constantly have to think about are they’re going to be stairs. And I hate going food shopping, everything I need is always on the top shelf!”
“I would say that my condition only affects my work with probably my height. I have to carry a stall around because I don’t always know what’s available to me.”
Priscilla is happy that she believed in herself and decided to pursue a career as a makeup and hair artist. She says: “I believe makeup can be used in several ways to make you feel powerful.”
“The most important thing that I think I’ve learned is that I’m a lot stronger than I give myself credit for, and I can do a lot more than I thought I ever could do.”