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A 23-year-old woman looking for love while trapped in the body of an eight-year-old boy has said she is “still open to finding a partner”, despite the furor surrounding her recent dating.
Shauna Rae, from Pennsylvania, is 3 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs just 50 pounds after her growth was stunted after brain cancer treatment as a child.
She has previously been candid about the unique dating struggles she has faced as a result of her condition, once revealing her parents’ fears that she would attract pedophiles due to her childish appearance.
Her most recent relationship with 26-year-old Welshman Dan Swygart caused a stir; critics called him ‘creep’ and accused him of being attracted to her only ‘because she looks like a girl’.
He fired back at the haters while admitting that he and Shauna Rae had decided they were better off as friends, and on a recent episode of his TLC reality series I Am Shauna Rae, the star said he was “still open to dating.” “. continued to date.
Shauna Rae, from Pennsylvania, is 3 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs just 50 pounds after her growth was stunted after brain cancer treatment as a child.
She can be seen preparing for a blind date with a new partner, while admitting that she had a “lot of worries.”
The reality star is then escorted to her next date by her stepfather and sister, until she discovers that her date has been cancelled.
She explains to the camera that her date “chickened out,” adding, “I was relieved when he cancelled.” She just showed all these characteristics that I don’t want in a person in my life.
Instead, Shauna Rae, her stepdad and her sister spend the night bowling together, with the star saying, “Even though it was supposed to be a date, I probably enjoyed it better this way with my family than a full one.” strange.’
She added: “I’m still open to the pairing situation, it really depends on if the second guy cancels.”
The 23-year-old recently hooked up with 26-year-old Dan Swygart, and their encounter was documented on an episode of his TLC reality series.
But after Dan appeared on the show, he was bombarded with backlash from people who questioned his motives and called the couple “weird” and “disturbing” because of their “childish appearance.”
He hit back at the critics, while admitting that they had decided they were better off as friends than romantic partners.
Her most recent relationship with 26-year-old Welshman Dan Swygart caused a stir; critics called him ‘creep’ and accused him of being attracted to her just ‘because she looks like a girl’
He fired back at the haters while admitting that he and Shauna Rae had decided they were better off as friends, and on a recent episode of his TLC reality series I Am Shauna Rae, the star said he was “still open to dating.” “. continued to date
“Shauna and I are just good friends, we’re getting to know each other,” he explained in a previous Instagram video.
But I think it’s absolutely disgusting the attitude of some people. She has been through a lot in life.
She survived cancer as a child, always felt different and was treated differently by society. How dare you take away his right to have a connection, a friendship, a relationship with another person?
Who are you to say that she can’t have that? I am absolutely disgusted by some people’s attitudes towards her and my friendship with her.’
Dan previously explained that he contacted Shauna after watching the first season of her show and feeling “inspired by her emotional strength.”
He then sent her some flowers and a card that said, “Go live your best life.” I wish you all the happiness you deserve.
They eventually started messaging on social media, before he flew to his hometown, where they went on a series of dates, all of which were showcased on the show.
In Dan’s Instagram video, he admitted that “despite all the hate,” some “incredible things” have come out of his appearance on the series.
Shauna was six months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. she is seen as a baby
She underwent three years of chemotherapy, and while the treatment was successful, it rendered her hormone-producing pituitary gland nearly inactive, stunting her growth.
When she was 16 years old, her doctor told her that her bones had fused together and she was not going to grow anymore. she is seen recently
He said he hoped that other people who might be suffering from a disability could see it and feel hope that they, too, could form a ‘connection with someone.’
“I’m very proud to have had such a positive impact on the world,” Dan continued. ‘Many people who have disabilities or have friends and family with disabilities have come up and said, ‘Thank you for showing that.’
‘It’s okay to build a friendship connection with someone who is different by society’s standards. It has given so many people hope that despite being different, they can also find an amazing friendship and connection with someone.”
During the episode, Shauna gushed about how “similar” she and Dan, who loves to travel and often goes on vacation, were, explaining that it was their adventures that “piqued her interest.”
The couple spent their first day together in an aquarium and escape room, and were joined by Rylee, her 18-year-old half-sister.
In another part of the show, Dan came over to her house to make sushi rolls. She introduced him to her mother and her stepfather, Patty and Mark Schrankel, who soon began questioning him.
Patty asked him things like how often they talk, which Dan said was almost every day at the time, and what their intentions were.
Although he seemed visibly uncomfortable during questioning, Dan was open about how he wanted to take his daughter around the world with him on his travels.
After Dan’s visit ended, Shauna told the camera, “I’m sure I’ll see him again.” He’s coming back. However, now it seems that they are focused on being friends. she is seen recently
“I think Dan would be a good match for Shauna because he’s so smart. [and] adventurous,’ her stepfather told the camera afterwards.
‘Shauna is smart but not very adventurous. I think she could get her out of [her] comfort zone, but still make it safe.
“I’m not really irritated with my family when they raise those questions about the future,” Shauna said. I haven’t talked about it with Dan. I’m letting it go anyway, but it’s okay, I kind of try to see if he can answer it.
“I haven’t really thought about if Dan and I were in a relationship and what it would look like.” I guess we’d probably try long distance, but I’ve been in a long distance relationship and it’s not my cup of tea.
After the episode was released, many people flooded the comments section on YouTube with their thoughts on Dan and Shauna’s relationship, with some people calling it “worrying”, “awkward”, “creepy” and “not okay”. .
In a video shared to Instagram in December after the episode first aired, Dan defended his date with the reality star, insisting that he built his relationship with her on “who she is as an individual,” rather than their appearance.
“It’s very important to remember that Shauna is an incredible 23-year-old woman who has a disability,” she said.
“So as you build a connection with her, it’s important to acknowledge her disability and look beyond that and build it to who she is as an individual. She is an amazing and inspiring 23-year-old woman who just happens to be a bit short.”
Dan also admitted that he knew he was going to get “some hate” when he agreed to appear on the series, but called it “absolutely disgusting” and “dehumanizing” to Shauna.
“As soon as you say she can’t have a real world connection with another person, you dehumanize her, which is absolutely disgusting,” she continued.
‘She is a human being. She deserves to have relationships and connections with whoever she wants. And I think some people aren’t emotionally mature enough to understand that you can have a deep connection based on personality and not just on looks.”
Shauna was six months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.
She underwent surgery and underwent three years of chemotherapy, and while the treatment was successful, it rendered her pituitary gland, which controls and regulates many bodily functions through the production of hormones, almost inactive, stunting her growth.
He was able to grow another eight inches with the help of synthetic hormone injections, but when he was 16, his doctor told him that his bones had fused together and he was not going to grow any more.