Mary Ann Webster, the beautiful nurse forced to take part in an ugliness contest to raise her children
Mary Ann Webster received an unofficial award for “The Ugliest Woman in the World.” But if she had participated in a contest for the title of “Best Mother in the World”, she would probably have been in the top.
Who was Mary Ann Webster?
Mary Ann Webster was born in 1874 in a middle-class household of seven siblings near London, England.
Mary Ann was obliged to work as a young woman because she grew up in a large household. Her desire was to create her own family, and she was a stunning woman.
She went on to become a nurse and married Thomas Bevan in 1903, with whom she had four children.
Her life dramatically changed when she was 32 years old. She began to develop acromegaly, a rare yet life-threatening illness that affects roughly 6 persons out of 100,000.
What is acromegaly?
Acromegaly is a rare hormonal condition characterized by somatotropic hormone hypersecretion. It occurs after puberty and is characterized by rapid expansion of the facial bones.
Exaggerated development of the mandible, nasal pyramid, and broad bones in general are all symptoms of this condition. The thickening of the lips and tongue, as well as the growth of the internal organs, are also visible (heart, liver, kidneys).
Headaches, impaired vision, joint discomfort, and numbness in the limbs are common in clinical practice.
This disease is currently successfully treated by modern treatment. However, nothing was understood about acromegaly in the twentieth century.
Mary Ann Webster “became” the ugliest woman in the world
Mary Ann’s condition caused her to go through changes that took away her attractiveness and devastated her life.
Thomas, her husband, was always there for her and never let her down, despite the fact that he had no idea what was going on with his lovely wife. But fate had something more sinister in store for Mary Ann.
Thomas died abruptly after 11 years of marriage, leaving his ailing wife, who was deformed and had four children to raise, to face life alone.
Mary Ann had to do everything she could to support her four children after losing her work.
Things looked to be getting worse as he struggled to obtain work due to his physical appearance. Debts were piling up, and feeding the kids was becoming increasingly difficult.
Mary Ann learned about “The Ugliest Woman in the World”, a competition. She entered the competition without much thought, at the cost of his dignity.
She won the competition, which had a constant prize.
The press of the time capitalized on her celebrity, and a slew of pieces arose that were difficult for her to read but popular with the general public. Eventually, the attention from the newspapers earned him a measure of celebrity, which she used to raise her children.
Leaving for the U.S.
Mary Ann was invited to the United States in 1920 to work in the circus at the Dreamland show on Coney Island.
Sam Gumpertz put on a “strange” show in which people with various physical difficulties were revealed to the sick amusement of the audience.
She was compelled to dress in attire that would draw attention to her physical flaws and lack of femininity as part of the presentation.
Her strange appearance caused a lot of pain. People continuously mocked, insulted, and rejected her. She had to trek vast miles to attend numerous concerts on occasion. People mocked her, stoned her, and referred to her as a “monster.”
Mary Ann, on the other hand, was willing to make these sacrifices for the sake of her children, and nothing stood in her way.
Until the end of her life, she took part in such “strange” shows. On December 26, 1933, Mary Ann Webster passed away.
We can’t say the same for her soul. Her devotion to her children and the sacrifices she made to ensure their well-being easily place her among the best mothers.
