Sheldon teenager overcomes disability to vie for UK beauty crown

Apr 4 2009 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM teenager born with one hand and four kidneys is vying to become the fresh face of Britain after being spotted by a model talent scout at the Clothes Show.

Maryelen Loughran has spent her life in and out of hospital having more than 70 operations for a rare stomach disorder after being born 11 weeks premature and the size of her mother Angela’s palm at 1lb 12oz.

The 15-year-old, of Carnford Road, Sheldon, has never let her disabilities hold her back and has now reached the final heat of Teen Princess UK beauty competition.

Her mother, a 46-year-old kitchen assistant at Highfields Junior and Infants’ School, said: “Maryelen has always had a ‘can do’ attitude to everything and has never let anything hold her back.

“We were at Birmingham NEC for the Clothes Show last year when a scout invited her to enter the competition.

“When she got through to the heats, I phoned the organisers about Maryelen having one hand and her other problems, to make sure it wasn’t a problem, but they said this pageant was about beauty on the inside as well as out and it shouldn’t limit her being a model.”

Maryelen was born without a hand, two more kidneys than normal, crippling arthritis and an under-developed stomach, meaning a liquid “shake” is pumped into her bowel through a tube every day as her stomach cannot digest food.

The Hall Green School pupil was worrying about a gastric bypass operation coming up in May, when news arrived of her reaching the final 50 in the modelling competition.

Mother-of-four Angela added: “Maryelen will never be able to eat and drink like a normal person after the operation but it will boost her health. My husband Mark and I are so proud of her. Maryelen feels that if she can win, it will inspire other girls that they can overcome anything to achieve their dreams.”