Watching the Instagram accounts of beautiful fit ladies, we absolutely don’t think about what hides behind the pictures that are able to keep the attention of thousands of followers.

FunnyModo is deeply impressed by the story of a fragile young lady from one of these accounts. We admire her courage, and we’re eager to share her story with you.

At first glance, the Instagram photos of Mariana Sfakianakis are no different from those that all the beauties around the world post every day: lovely selfies and shots of a stunning body. And probably a few of her 52,000 subscribers know the secret that hides behind these spectacular shots. Yet recently everything has changed.

Mariana posted her childhood photos, and it’s simply impossible to recognize the current lady with the perfect body in the exhausted girl with physiological problems. She told how she was gravely sick and how much she had to get through to fight the disease.

When Mariana’s mother was pregnant, the doctors predicted the death of the fetus, so they didn’t even try to save the unborn child. As fate would have it, the girl was born, yet too soon. Due to inadequate medical supervision, Mariana spent much time without oxygen, and this entailed terrible consequences: partial brain damage and cerebral palsy.

As a young kid, I never understood what was really happening and why I was different to all the other kids. I got bullied for not walking like all the others and for also being in a wheelchair.

Mariana Sfakianakis

Up to the age of 6, every day of Mariana’s life was a real challenge accompanied by depression. So it was until the girl had surgery. She began to walk. During 8 months of pain and tears, she undertook a course of serious rehabilitation, and despite everything she conquered the disease.

For many years, this strong girl continued to fight for her health. Her main weapon was sports and physical activity. Systematic training helped her to gain not only strength and a fantastic body but to also forget about psychological problems and become a self-confident woman. Today, Mariana’s personal example encourages her subscribers to never give up on the way to a dream.

Preview photo credit smokingguns