A woman with a 100-pound leg spent her childhood hiding. Now she’s a model.

Tennessee model Mahogany Geter spent her childhood avoiding mirrors.

“I felt hideous, like a freak of nature,” Geter, 25, told TODAY.com.

Geter was born with lymphedema in her left leg, which she says eventually caused her to bloat to 100 pounds.

“When I am in public, people look at me. There’s a lot of scoring – and I’m talking adults here,” Geter says. “Children have the courage to ask me questions.”

The Mayo Clinic describes the medical condition as swelling caused by an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the tissues of the body. It usually occurs in the arms or legs, but can also affect the chest wall, abdomen, neck, and genitals.

“Some cases are mild. Mine is very visible,” says Geter.

Geter’s lymphedema was detected right after he was born.

“What my mother told me was that the doctors could notice it because one print was bigger than the other,” she says.

For years, Geter only wore long pants and skirts – she was terrified of showing her bare leg in public. But that changed in 2017, when Geter was approached by a professional photographer wanting to help her build a modeling portfolio.

“I was completely skeptical,” recalls Geter. “I remember thinking, ‘Why would anyone want to take my picture?'”

But a few days later, with encouragement from his family, Geter called the photographer.

Geter started booking jobs and posting pictures of herself on social media to raise awareness about lymphedema. (Loren Viera / @lorenvieramedia)

It was a decision that would ultimately change his life.

“I found out there was this bad confident bitch in me,” she reveals.

Geter started booking jobs and posting pictures of herself on social media to raise awareness about lymphedema. She says there are a lot of misconceptions about chronic illness.

“People think only plus-size people have lymphedema, but lymphedema doesn’t choose a body type,” she explains. “I was also told that the devil gave me this disease. I will receive messages about healers I should work with in other countries.

Lymphedema is not curable, according to Lauren Gressley, a nurse practitioner in the Vascular Surgery Department at Corewell Health in Michigan. However, it can be managed with comprehensive decongestant therapy (CDT). CDT includes a variety of techniques, including compression and manual lymphatic drainage, a type of gentle massage that moves lymphatic fluid in the right direction. Gressley is not involved in Geter’s care.

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Geter says managing her lymphedema with manual lymphatic drainage. She also wears compression socks that help fluid move to an area that is draining properly.

Geter dreams of doing a photoshoot with supermodel Winnie Harlow. Harlow lives with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that causes patches of skin to lose color. Geter, like Harlow, wants to redefine beauty.

“She’s definitely an inspiration,” Geter says. “I would cry if I ever worked with her.”

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This article originally appeared on TODAY.com