Mui Thomas was born in Hong Kong in 1992, and her parents abandoned her that same day.
She had harlequin ichthyosis, an extremely rare genetic condition that covers the body in thick plaques that crack and make breathing and fighting infections more difficult. At the time, it was considered almost always fatal: doctors believed she would not survive childhood, and almost no one with this condition lived to adulthood.
When she was about 18 months old, Rog and Tina Thomas met her as volunteers with a foster care program. They weren’t even thinking about adopting: they were planning to move to Australia.
But Tina started visiting her in the hospital, and Mui, who barely trusted anyone, cried every time she left. More than six months passed before Mui could live with them. They were warned that the girl might die, but they stayed anyway. Tina even slept on the floor beside her bed during every hospital stay.
Today, at 33, Mui is a yoga instructor and the first known rugby referee with harlequin ichthyosis. She was bullied during her teenage years, and that wound became a mission: her family created “The Girl Behind The Face” to fight prejudice.
Some people arrive for a few weeks of volunteering and end up becoming family for life. ❤️
