Rory's Story
There is an unmistakable surge of courage when I see fearlessness reflected in someone I can relate to. There is a fire ignited in my eyes when I see the blaze of bravery in theirs. My admiration for Rory is that of a peer and of a comrade. We are around the same age and have many similiar experiences in our respective journeys. Yet, he has become an example for me. He has, for example, posted a plethora of photos during his recovery process after a major procedure - the good, bad and the trying, while I've only posted a few abstract shots over the years. He has written in detail about an instance of cyber-bullying going as far as to post the offenders original, hateful comments for all to see. Rory living his truth so unapologetically has encouraged me to lean even further into who I am without feeling the need to shield those around me from my realities. Here is Rory's Story in his own words.
Hometown: Ayr, Scotland
When I was younger, I wanted to be: Marine Biologist
In 10 years, I will have: Nobody can tell what the future holds.
My life long goal is to: Remain healthy and happy, and to help to educate others about the subject of prejudice in order to try to prevent some other people from having to go through some of the feelings that I had to when I was younger.
If I could change one thing about the world, I would: I would love for people to not judge each other based on their looks, their race, their sexuality, their religion etc...I would love it if everyone got on well together so that fighting and wars etc. didn't occur.
My favorite quote/scripture/affirmation statement is: Never judge a book by its cover.
1) Describe the type of VM you have? What was the first sign?
I had a Venous Malformation of the upper lip and slightly into the right cheek. In November 2016, it was removed from the upper lip, but there is still some in the cheek. My parents first noticed the birthmark when I was very young because my upper lip was a little bit thicker than the bottom one and was a little bit misshapen. My mother also found that it was very difficult for me to be fed by bottle, so they took me to a doctor, and I was diagnosed with having a Venous Malformation.
2) How did you eventually come to receive treatment?
Both my parents, and also my doctors at the time, decided that it would be a good idea to have an operation before I started school.
3) Who are/were your main doctors, where are/were you treated and how has your care been?
My main doctors have been Iain McKay and Jo Bhattacharya, and I have mainly been treated in Glasgow, Scotland at the Southern General Hospital and at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
4) How do you feel your health will progress in the future?
I'm hoping that I remain healthy and fit as I'm really into fitness and eating a good diet.
5) How has having a VM changed or impacted your life?
I had to go through many horrible experiences with VM when I was younger, and even though they were not nice to experience, they helped me to become a kind and understanding person and to never judge anyone based on the way that they look.
6) What has been your biggest challenge in the battle with VM?
Before I had the VM removed from my upper lip, I would get stared at, laughed at, mocked, and pointed out in public all of the time which would make me feel very sad, and it made my self esteem very low.
7) What do you think a documentary about those surviving AVM/VM can achieve?
I think that it sounds like a great idea and would educate people about vascular birthmarks and the impact that they can have on the people with them.
8) What are your hopes for the future of AVM/VM research?
I'm hoping that one day in the future someone can find a way to cure AVMs/VMs that works for every person who has one.
9) What has been the biggest lesson you've learned throughout your journey thus far?
I have learned to never judge anyone by their appearance and also to be kind to people at all times, as you never know what someone is going through on the inside.
10) What is your proudest accomplishment?
I'd say that my proudest accomplishment is overcoming years of adversity and coming through the other side of it a lot happier.
