A young woman who spent years of her life being bullied over the moles she has all over her body may now be crowned Miss Universe.
As The Daily Mail reports, 20-year-old Evita Delmundo was born with large hairy moles that cover much of her face and body.
Delmundo’s cruel schoolmates called her a “monster” and a “chocolate chip cookie” over her appearance, which she could not control.
It wasn’t until she began attending a new school as a teenager that Delmundo finally gained enough confidence that she is no longer embarrassed over her moles.
Years later, Delmundo, who refuses to have her moles removed, is an advocate for bullying victims.
Now, according to The Daily Mail, she has taken one giant step forward by auditioning for Miss Universe Malaysia.
“It definitely wasn't easy for me. I got bullied in primary school and the other kids would call me names like ‘monster’ or ‘chipsmore,’ which was really tough to swallow as a young girl,” Delmundo said of her lonely childhood.
“In primary school, no one wanted to be friends with me. I remember a teacher having to ask two girls to accompany me during recess, and they were whispering 'why do we have to treat her like a princess?” she added. “It broke my heart. I told them that they don't have to follow me and they went off immediately. Basically, I was a lonely girl.”
Although she desperately wanted to get her moles removed as a child, Delmundo was eventually told by doctors that such an extensive surgery was too risky.
Because doctors quickly discovered that Delmundo’s moles were not due to a life-threatening skin condition, they agreed that it would be wise not to have them removed.
At 16 years old, Delmundo finally decided to “accept that this is the body I've been given.”
Now that she has practiced singing and playing the guitar, Delmundo wants to take her newfound confidence to the next level by entering in the Miss Universe Malaysia competition.
Earlier this month, Delmundo auditioned for the pageant and she will soon learn whether or not she was picked to continue forward.
“I learnt to accept my birthmarks and love myself. I slowly gained confidence to show off my uniqueness,” Delmundo said. “The judges asked me a couple of questions, like how would I promote Malaysia if I won Miss Universe Malaysia?
“I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. If I don't get through, there's always another platform,” she added.
While she waits to hear back from the judges, Delmundo is working part-time at a coffee shop, where she hopes to continue to inspire other young women to accept and loves the bodies they were born with.
