A woman who "looks like an eight-year-old" has opened up about the terrifying warning she received from her parents about dating.
Shauna Rae, who is the star of TLC’s I Am Shauna Rae, was diagnosed with brain cancer as an infant, and underwent chemotherapy that successfully saved her life but severely impacted her pituitary gland, stunting her growth and triggering a form of pituitary dwarfism.
Today, she stands at 3ft 10in tall and weighs just 50 pounds, giving her a small appearance - something she says has made her a target in more ways than one.
Speaking on The Unplanned Podcast, the reality TV star recalled how her parents had to prepare her for the dark realities of navigating relationships.
“It's very easy to be prey in this world as a tiny little girl, and my parents taught me that from a very young age,” she shared. “They told me, ‘Look, any guy that's interested in you… You have to read into them because there's a chance that it's about your size.’”
That warning stayed with her. “I grew up knowing that, and it was scary. I was scared to date. I was scared to flirt with anyone. I was even scared to be asked out,” Rae said.
When she was once approached in a cafeteria, her first reaction was not excitement but suspicion: “Are you a predator?”
In a heartfelt moment, she reflected on her parents' advice. “They said, ‘Look, when it comes to romantic things, people may view you differently… You're going to get old. You're going to get ugly. You're going to get grouchy.
"You want to find someone with whom you can build a strong foundation and a bond. You’ll probably end up with someone who was your friend for a really, really long time - someone who eventually realizes they like you,’” she added.
Despite her condition, Rae has been candid about her sexuality and dating life.
On The Sarah Fraser Show, she explained that while she attracts “creeps, a**holes, and idiots,” she has had fulfilling romantic relationships and enjoys intimacy.
“It was confirmation that I can kind of do whatever I want,” she said, cited by The Sun. “Growing up, I was told that it might not be a possibility… It made me feel like a normal woman.”
Rae has even spoken about how sex boosts her confidence: “I have no problem having sex and I can do all those normal things other humans do in those activities.”
She believes open conversations about sex and disability are important: “I don't think sex should be so taboo as it is in our society… It's something that needs to be talked about.”
Although her TLC show often focuses on her day-to-day life - such as being turned away by bartenders, struggling to get gym memberships, or receiving kids’ menus at restaurants - Rae wants to challenge the way people perceive her.
On TikTok, she pushed back on the tagline frequently attached to her: “the woman stuck in the body of an eight-year-old.”
“I know that’s the catchphrase that’s attached to me, but I don’t personally connect with it. I think it’s actually very inaccurate,” she said. “I am not stuck in the body of an eight-year-old. I am a 23-year-old woman whose body is 23 years old… I am just a shorter-statured woman.”
She added: “If you genuinely take the time, you'll notice that I'm no different - just short.”
Despite the difficulties, Rae continues to be a strong voice for awareness about pituitary dwarfism. “I'm hoping that by raising awareness for my type of dwarfism and disability, that it will help the world… be more open-minded,” she wrote on Instagram.