The Brentwood Park resident suffers from neurofibromatosis type one, which is the growth of tumours along the nerves in the body.
The tumours can grow underneath or on top of the surface of the skin.
In her case, the tumours are underneath the skin.
With May being Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month worldwide, the 22-year-old wants to raise awareness about the condition.
She was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis at the age of 11.
“I am riddled with tumours from my neck up,” she said.
“I have tumours in my head, behind my right ear, the right side of my face, the right side of my tongue and tumours in my gums.”
The growth of the tumours in her tongue led to the right side of her tongue to be larger than the left.
At the age of 13, she underwent her first operation to remove some of the tumours.
As the growths cannot be removed from the root, as this will cause nerve damage, she again underwent an operation at the age of 16.
“By the time I had entered high school in 2008, the tumours in my face had caused my face to appear disfigured and the right side was larger than the left,” said Stone.
“This resulted in me being bullied in school.
“This took a toll on my self-esteem, confidence and happiness and I became an extremely unhappy child.”
Following the “fantastic” results from the second operation, Stone managed to hold her head high.
“I went through so much emotional stress and physical pain from the second operation.
“I then realised that kids would still tease me and that I would never be ‘good enough’ for them,” she said.
“But, with amazing support from my family and teachers, I realised that they were the only people who mattered.”
She again went under the knife last year, which improved her conductive hearing loss.
Stone says she has overcome the bullying she suffered, and tells herself: “Those who matter, don’t mind, and those who mind, don’t matter.”
“Bullying is draining. It drains you of your smile, happiness and overall outlook on life.
“A child, teenager or adult can become very unhappy with life and might not find the strength to get through the bullying.”
Although she has made peace with those who bullied her, she still has to contend with people who make remarks about her looks.
One such incident recently happened when she walked into a Benoni pharmacy.
“My girl, what is wrong with your face?” an employee asked.
“The look on her face is what upset me because she made me feel like a monster, so I had to explain.
“I am normal, but I was not treated like that.”
Stone hopes the tumours will become dormant, meaning she won’t require further surgery.
Follow us on these platforms:
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp: 079 431 1217
Instagram: benonicitytimes.co.za
