Shilah Madison lives in Melbourne, Australia and is 11 years old. Shilah is inspiring thousands of people across the globe by embracing her uniqueness. Shilah has different hair; it's called "uncombable hair syndrome" which means her hair cannot be combed flat, it feels dry and frizzy.
Ever since she was a baby, Shilah has faced comments about her hair from people in the street and in her school; "I get teased a lot and get called Fluffhead - it's not nice."
"I personally like it now, but at the same time I hate it - especially when there's wind! Let's just say I can't see!"
Shilah'a mother says she knew her baby was different when she was three months old; "Her brown baby hair had fallen out as it should but this weird fuzz started to come through and grow straight up. It was nothing you'd ever seen before! It didn't seen to calm or settle, but I didn't really think anything of it until people started to make comments."
People would say, "What's wrong with her hair?". Mum says it was really hurtful; "People who were complete strangers would peer in to her stroller, stare at her and make comments wherever we went, 'Looks like she stuck her finger in a power socket,' was a frequent comment." Often people would touch her hair without asking. Mum wold say, "Do you mind? She's just a baby and we don't go around touching your kids."
Shilah's frustration peaked when he was four years old and she couldn't pull it back in to a pony tail. Shailah chopped her hair off and it became spiky. That was the only time she had a hair cut. After that, Shilah started to embrace her hair; "Just call me fuzzy. Sometimes I look like a lion with a crazy mane." Shilah started to tell people that she was magical and special and they were just normal and boring."
A doctor said they had never seen anyone in Australia with uncombable hair syndrome and that Shilah was one in a million. Mum says Shilah has the personality to make a difference. Shilah says, "You just have to love yourself, who cares about everyone else."
- What is the impact on Shilah when people tease her?
- Why do you think Shilah is inspiring so many people?
- "I personally like it now, but at the same time I hate it." How can you like something and hate it at the same time?
- Do you think "uncombable hair syndrome" is a helpful name for Shilah to feel accepted? How might that name make Shilah feel about her hair, what message about hair does the name give? Is all hair combable? Can you think of a more sensitive name? How about, "different hair syndrome" (although it still points out difference), How about "free hair syndrome"?
- Mum says she didn't really think anything of her baby looking different until people started to make comments. Why not? Why didn't Mum notice?
- Why would people touch Shilah's hair, why is that a problem?
- Why do you think Shilah wanted a pony tail when she was 4 years old? What does that tell us about gender stereotypes?
- "Shilah started to embrace her hair," what does this mean? What changed?
- Why did she tell people they were normal and boring? Is that a kind thing to say? Is it ok?
- "You just have to love yourself, who cares about everyone else." Why does Shilah say this?
- What can we learn from Shilah?
- Why is this about No Outsiders?
