Her parents pulled back the blanket and froze.
Marika Nagy had just been born and had marks on approximately 60% of her skin. The ultrasounds had never shown anything unusual. The diagnosis came afterward: congenital nevus, a birthmark that affects one in every 500,000 babies. And over the years, more marks kept appearing.
Everything became more difficult when she started secondary school, as the marks became more visible on her face and limbs. Her classmates shouted that she looked like a “cow” and was “covered in mud”. Some girls cornered and attacked her in the hallways. Others created fake profiles just to fill her photos with cruel comments.
Marika ended up isolating herself from the world and began to believe she was ugly.
Then she discovered something no one had taught her: she loved being in front of the camera. Today, she is just over 20, has a baby in her arms, and sees herself in the mirror in a very different way.