When Isa-Bella Leclair’s bikini pic was snapped on family vacation, it was nothing more than a picture to capture a memory.
But three years later, the picture went viral and became a body-positive message.
The 19-year-old college student wrote a personal essay this week accompanying her bikini picture. Her purpose was to bring attention to her rare genetic condition, Parkes Weber syndrome.
In the photo, Leclair’s right leg is swollen to nearly twice the size of her left.
"Because I was born with the malformation, I had no other choice but to get used to people staring and asking me questions," Leclair stated in her essay.
The condition is caused by having multiple abnormal blood vessels in one body part. Leclair was diagnosed at birth.
"This causes a huge red stain on my leg called a ‘port-wine stain,’ and the lymphatic system damage creates swelling," she explained in her essay.
Leclair’s attitude can teach most of us a lesson in loving our bodies:
"My condition doesn’t define me and no way I will let it stop me from wearing a cute swimsuit or a cute dress. I don’t fit in skinny jeans or fancy shoes so I have to find alternatives, but I always end up still feeling good about my body," she continued.
Her body-positive message quickly spread across social media platforms after her essay was publish on The Lymphie Life, an online community dedicated to Lymphalexa, a side effect of Parkes Weber syndrome.
The warm reception of her essay left Leclair feeling “overwhelmed and grateful.”
The Ottawa resident told People Magazine, "I am feeling a tornado of emotions since my story has gone viral on the Internet … and also recognize the responsibility that comes with being a role model."
She remembers feeling like "just a normal teen posting a photo album of her spring vacations” when the picture was taken in 2012.
"My sister and I were at the beach and the sun was sitting really nice on the water so we decided to take a little photoshoot," she recalled.
Now that the photo is viral, she doesn’t mind the curiosity about her leg.
"I’m very fortunate to have the possibility to inspire, but really everybody has. You just have to find a cause you believe in greatly and people who need a little extra light and guidance."
Leclair says she will "continue to live life with a positive attitude."
She added, ”The hardest thing with living with PWS is living with the uncertainty of what is going to happen next and accepting that,"
"PWS is such a rare condition with next to no research, so you just have to treat it as it goes. It’s important to just live in the moment and not worry."