Teen's Photo Proves She Won't Let Her Rare Disorder Keep Her From Wearing a Bikini

Isa-Bella Leclair knows what it means to feel comfortable in your own skin.

Leclair, 19, lives with Parkes Weber syndrome, a rare disorder that causes vascular malfunctions and can lead to abnormal swelling and large pink marks on the skin called “port wine stains.” Because of the disease, Leclair’s right leg has swelled to nearly 40 pounds, according to The Telegraph. The disorder also causes an excess of blood, which, if not monitored, can lead to congenital heart failure.

But that hasn’t held her back in the least. Leclair enjoys staying active, loves snowboarding and recently won a beauty pageant in her hometown of Cambellton, New Brunswick, in Canada. She also welcomes curiosity about her condition and hopes it can lead to increased awareness about it.

Proof of this is an awesome photo she shared that’s getting some serious attention:

Meet Isa-Bella Leclair, a young woman with an inspiring and beautiful take on living with a… http://t.co/y1AL5zpYls pic.twitter.com/M3cTss7KED

— the Lymphie Life (@TheLymphieLife) June 12, 2015

The photo reads, “I won’t let anyone dim my sunshine because they are blinded. I’ll tell them to put on some sunglasses ’cause I was born this way.”

“My condition doesn’t define me and no way will I let it stop me from wearing a cute swimsuit or a cute dress,” Leclair told The Lymphie Life, a blog about living with lymphedema (limb swelling). “For me, confidence is the most important part, because when people see someone confident in their body — even with a handicap — they don’t have pity but instead admiration, and that’s when you have the chance to be a good influence and change the standards of beauty.”

h/t HuffPost Good News