Today I would like to talk to you about the life of Ella Harper,
a woman who lived between the late 1800s and the early 1900s.
The Story.
When she was born in 1870 in Tennessee, she was diagnosed with a very rare orthopedic condition: 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙢.
In reality, this condition, which affects the knee joint causing it to bend backward, is not so uncommon in young children: it manifests when they start walking and can be corrected with proper muscle exercises to prevent it from persisting into adulthood.
In Ella’s case, unfortunately, the condition was congenital and very severe—in other words, incurable except through surgery.
Ella had a pleasant appearance and long wavy hair but had to exert immense effort to stand up, so she preferred to walk on all fours. This is why she was nicknamed “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭.”
As might be expected, she found work performing in the so-called 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰, which were very popular during that time. Within just four years, she became a true star: by 1886, she was already being referred to as the most incredible creature to appear on the face of the earth since the day of Creation…
Quote.
…”𝘔𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”… 
It was the money she earned as a “freak show” performer that allowed her to disappear and change her life. Indeed, there were very few reports about her after the year she retired.
It is known that she married a teacher in 1905 and gave birth to a daughter who, unfortunately, passed away after only a few months. In 1921, a colon tumor ended her earthly existence.
Ella Harper, like many others involved in that kind of circus performance, hoped throughout her life to be able to live a normal life.
Nature sometimes bestows some people with mutations that radically change their appearance. The cruelty and malice of people often do the rest.
I like to think, despite the few details we have on the subject, that in the years she spent away from the spotlight, Ella Harper managed to find some peace and serenity.
And you, Souls, were you aware of this story?
What do you think?
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