Today we’d like to introduce you to Marian Adejokun
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Back in 2011 I suffered from a 1 in a million deadly allergic reaction to eye drops. My whole skin peeled off from head to toe and I was in coma for a month; this life- threatening medical condition is known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome.
💭Years later, I was literally looking at myself in the mirror and talking to myself about how my scars tell a story; this would be of encouragement to others who can relate to having scars and being ashamed of or hiding them because of feelings of low self-esteem.
In 2018, someone decided to compose a poem about my scars.
🔊Now in 2020, I have finally come to share this project which celebrates my scars of all shapes, sizes and stories behind them.
I would like this personal project of mine to first of all represent people of color; as I have searched online and don’t see myself.
Now I am more confident in showing off my scars to encourage children, women and men to embrace their scars, to love their skin and themselves.
Every image you analyse with your eyes has a story and this is when you start to articulate things differently about your body- and life’s adventures.
* Medical representation of diverse skin tones (diverse ethnicities) in this sector
💡Medical Presentation for Students and Professionals
💡Awareness on SJS
💡Promote body confidence & self esteem
💡Break stereotypes in the media & social media 🙌🏽
#MyScars
#MyStory
#MySkin
Marian Adejokun 💫
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I remember as if it was yesterday… My eyes had been itching at college that day and after a quick chat with the doctor I was advised to use over the counter eye drops. Within half an hour of using them, blisters started to appear on my feet and spread across my entire body. My normally high pain threshold was experiencing something I had never felt before. This was a different kind of pain, as if I were burning from the inside out. My mom called an ambulance as my airways began to close and I was finding it hard to breathe. At this point, I could no longer stand as the blisters had completely taken over my feet.
I’ve been through various medical ordeals in my life – including being born premature weighing only 1 pound – along with various surgeries. My initial thought was that this would be another challenge to overcome. Never in a million years did I think my entire skin would peel off and I’d end up in an induced coma due to a severe allergic reaction know as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS).
At first, doctors thought I had swine flu and I spent time in an isolation ward. At this time, I was coughing up blood and bleeding from my eyes, still unaware it was an allergic reaction. Later I was moved to a hospital where a doctor recognised that I had SJS and put me into an induced coma due to the severe nature of the condition.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Against all the odds I pulled through, with doctors hailing my recovery a miracle. Healing has been an ongoing process with a consultant dermatologist and an ophthalmologist helping me through.
I must use special eye drops for the rest of my life to keep my eyes lubricated, and from time to time I experience blurry vision. I didn’t need skin graft surgery and my tracheotomy scar healed well.
At first, I avoided going out in public as I feared how people would perceive me. After a few months I began to feel more comfortable in my own skin and I shared my story to inspire others – turning my own negative experience into a positive one. This experience has boosted my confidence in a strange way. Now I teach primary school children, I’ve written many books, I am the founder of ReachOut2All CIC “Amplifying the voices of young people” and I’m an inspirational speaker.
Started My Scars Tell A Story Photography Campaign in 2020 via social media. I’ve been invited to prestigious events to speak such as house of parliament. I am also an Ambassador for the British Skin Foundation, Representative for Scar Free Foundation, British Association of Dermatologist and Rare Disease UK – Genetic Alliance UK.
I would never have coped so well with this disease if it weren’t for my mom, sisters and faith. Although I live a normal life now, I am mindful and cautious when it comes to my health.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Every image you analyse with your eyes has a story and this is when you start to articulate things differently about your body- and life’s adventures.
* Medical representation of diverse skin tones (diverse ethnicities) in this sector
💡Medical Presentation for Students and Professionals
💡Awareness on SJS
💡Promote body confidence & self esteem
💡Break stereotypes in the media & social media 🙌🏽
#MyScars
#MyStory
#MySkin
Pricing:
- £250
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/myscars2020/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myscars2020
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myscars2020
- Twitter: https://x.com/myscars2020
