An Aberdeen student has shared her determination not to let her facial disfigurement dull her ambitions.
Lucy Ritchie was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that alters the bones and tissue in the face.
There is no cure for the condition, which affects one in 50,000 people.
Yesterday Miss Ritchie – who is just finishing her management with marketing degree at the Robert Gordon University – appeared on television to promote Face Equality Day, encouraging people to act tactfully when meeting someone with a visible difference.
The 22-year-old, who appeared on BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show, said: “I wanted to raise awareness of the support for people in my position. I had a positive experience growing up but I know not everyone is as lucky. There’s a lack of understanding and some ignorance surrounding facial deformities even today.
“I remember waiting at a set of traffic lights when I was 11 and saw a bunch of teenagers taking pictures and videos of me from the other side of the street. It is important not to let these negative experiences get you down.”
This year’s Facial Equality campaign, run by charity Changing Faces, is shining the spotlight on young people and aims to encourage schools and youth groups to implement support recourses for children with facial disfigurements.
Becky Hewitt, chief executive of Changing Faces, said: “Reaching children when they’re young so that they learn to value difference is so important. Changing Faces wants a world where everyone with a visible difference on their face or body has the confidence, support and opportunity to lead the lives they want.”
Figures from the charity show that four out of five people with a facial disfigurement have experienced unpleasant comments from a stranger, and almost half have felt vulnerable using public transport.
But Miss Ritchie, who is originally from Glasgow, luckily has enjoyed a positive time in Aberdeen, immersing herself in student life. She joined the university tennis team, studied abroad in Germany and embarked on a work placement in Disney’s London studios.
She is now looking for a job after finishing her last assignment last Friday and is optimistic about her future.
She said: “I’m often in my own wee world and am oblivious to any staring. My advice to anyone struggling with their appearance is to have a positive attitude and you will see that reflected in the people around you.”
Dr Elliot Pirie, programme leader at RGU’s school of creative and cultural business, said: “Having taught Lucy I can comfortably state that she was a joy to teach, being both diligent and capable. She was always actively engaged in group activities and discussions.”
