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00:01
Hunter: People need to understand that it's
ok to be different. It's ok to not fit the
norm because there is no norm.
00:09
COMM: When people first meet teenager Hunter
Steinitz, many believe she's been a victim
of horrific burns. In fact, Hunter was born
with ultra-rare genetic condition, Harlequin
Ichthyosis, meaning her skin is too thick
and leaves Hunter with scaly dry patches all
over her body.
00:25
COMM: Her arrival in the world was a shock
for mum Patty and dad Mark.
00:30
Mark: You can tell in all of those individuals,
those medical people in the room, their faces,
right then, I knew something was clearly wrong.
00:41
COMM: In the past, sufferers often died early
because they miss vital defence barriers in
their skin. Today, raised awareness and new
medical techniques are helping people like
Hunter live long lives.
00:54
COMM: The condition poses many challenges
for sufferers, who have to grow up in a world
where people point, stare and react badly
to them.
01:03
Hunter: Gym was the worst because gym, you
know, you're forced to be in physical content
with one another. People would flip out and
a lot of the time the teachers wouldn't do
anything because they don't know how to react.
01:16
COMM: After years of harsh bullying, Hunter
started to question things.
01:20
Hunter: Maybe I deserved it. Maybe, you know,
I was this freak and I was this different
entity. I didn't deserve to be around normal
people.
01:31
COMM: But not everyone was mean. Some pals,
like Samantha Beers stuck by her, no matter
what.
01:36
Samantha: I've been friends with her since
we were 3 because she was there for me when
I needed her.
01:40
COMM: With support from her true friends and
loved ones like dad, Mark, Hunter turned a
corner and began to change the way she saw
herself.
01:48
Hunter: I'd be a totally different person
without it. My family would be different people,
I wouldn't have the same friends and so I
owe everything about my life to, you know,
the disorder.
02:01
Mark: She recognises that she can do whatever
she chooses to do, and that there isn't anybody
out there, regardless of the kind of confrontation
they provide her because of what she looks
like, that can prevent her from doing it.
02:16
COMM: With a new lease of life, Hunter is
now helping to educate others with motivational
speaking.
02:22
Hunter: People need to understand that it's
ok to be different. It's ok to not fit the
norm because there is no norm.
02:31
COMM: With a fresh outlook, Hunter is now
preparing for life at university and she's
ready for anything.
02:36
Hunter: For every 2 idiot who can't get it
into their thick skulls, there's another 3
who are gonna open up to some level, who are
gonna be able to see past it and be able to
see me. I'm not normal and proud of it.