Lexi Chapman was sent death threats over something she didn’t choose: a red and purple birthmark covering her left arm and neck.
As a child in elementary school, she was happy and didn’t care. At 11, she changed schools and everything fell apart. They called her “freak”. They said her skin was a “huge hickey”. She covered herself with long sleeves and scarves, but nothing worked.
For years, she thought it was a port-wine stain, a simple birthmark. No one in her family questioned it. But something didn’t add up: she felt pain and sometimes her arm went numb.
At 18, she did her own research and found the answer. It wasn’t just a birthmark. It was Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, a rare condition that can damage bones and muscles. Without treatment, according to media reports, it could shorten her life. She was warned that her arm could shrink over time.
Today, she receives treatment every four to six weeks and lives knowing that a blood clot is always a threat. ““I’m at peace with my appearance,”” says the young woman from Atlanta, who works as a phlebotomist.
There are still strangers who stop her in the street to ask what’s wrong with her. She no longer hides.
Today, she shows her skin on social media so other girls don’t go through the same thing. 💜
They threatened you because of your skin. She turned it into a flag.
