FASHION MODEL, WARRIOR AND ADVOCATE OF KLIPPEL TRENAUNAY SYNDROME

Meet Berlange Presilus; the heading of my post was extracted from her IG bio. So I became curious about why she would call herself 'warrior', but more importantly, about Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS). And then I realized that...

Berlange Presilus is a fashion model from Haiti, living with KTS. She's always been from Haiti, but not always been a fashion model due to KTS which is a rare condition (affects just one or two in 100,000 people) that affects the development of blood vessels, soft tissues and bones, causing abnormal growth of soft tissues and bones, vein malfunctions, and red-purple colour referred to as port-wine stains, on affected areas.

Before she could even put a name to her condition, Berlange had gone from one doctor to another surgeon and to the dermatologists and other specialists, trying to find out what exactly was wrong with her right foot. Every doctor she had visited in the United States and Canada couldn't come up with something; they just didn't know what it was that made her leg dry up and cause her so much pain. But she was advised to amputate the leg, so as to free her from the pain and future consequences of the condition. She was even told by one doctor that she would not live a day over 19!

It was in Cuba, about five years ago, that a female doctor diagnosed Berlange with Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS). And now she shares her story with the rest of the world - the daily struggles, pain, colour changes of her leg, depending on the temperature, being a warrior and advocate of people living KTS, and most importantly her strut to the catwalk - putting her best foot forward.

Berlange Presilus has worked with brands like Babies R Us and Johnny Walker.
Step out already this 2017, will you? :) Happy New Year!!!