Model, 24, with Rare Skin Disease Bares Scars to Raise Awareness: 'I Choose to Show the Body I Was Given'

Lucy Beall was born with epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic disorder that affects roughly 200 people in the U.S. each year and causes painful blisters at the slightest touch. Expected to die at infancy, Beall, now 24, defies all odds and serves as a passionate and outspoken advocate for herself and others with the condition. "I grew up knowing that my condition didn't just mean a more difficult life, but possibly a shorter one, and it was a very heavy burden," Beall tells PEOPLE. "I want people to see that I'm so much more than just my scars."

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