Woman, 26, with rare genetic condition beats the odds to become a model WE ARE used to seeing a host of identikit models storm the catwalks. However, one woman has broken beauty norms. Melanie Gaydos was born with a rare genetic condition called Ectodermal Dysplasia, which leaves her hair, teeth and skin not properly developed. As a child she experienced a lot of bullying due to her unconventional look. The tormenting became so bad that at one point Melanie says she felt suicidal. "Growing up I didn"t really have a lot of friends". "As a child I faced a lot of bullying and a lot of people stared at me. "When I was about 16 I was really depressed and suicidal I didn"t really want to live - I didn"t think that I would be alive past the age of 18." But her life turned around when she was scouted as a model.
