Queen Okafor is a unique woman with unique features. She has a rare
endowment from nature. Looking at her, one would think she is a
man, but she is a full blooded woman. Queen, as her name suggests,
has become a celebrity of sort whenever she steps out in public as the
people stare at her in amazement. Queen’s attraction is an
abundance of hairs all over her body especially in the upper region-
face, hands, chests etc. Although she was born without much hair on
her body, she gradually began sprouting them at the age of 21 years.
Today, at 26, Queen has done many things humanly possible to stop
the abnormal growth, but to no avail
Narrating her experience, Queen said she started noticing the hair at
unusual places at the age of 21. When this reporter met Queen in a
bus going to Oshodi from Mile 2, in Lagos some months ago,
passengerswere starring at her embarrassingly. As the lady tried to
hide her face, more eyes were on her, thus arousing much interest
from co-passengers. Queen eventually opened up to this reporter,
maintaining that she was not using the story to beg for money or as
a form of publicity stunt, but only to draw the attention of NGOs to
fight for women with such rare disability as hers. Queen believes that
she is a normal person with unwanted recognition from the society.
She told Sunday Sun:
“My name is Queen Nonyerem Okafor. I am from Anambra State.
We are five children from our parents, three girls and two boys. I
inherited the hairs from my mum and it runs in the family. Once
you get to 21 to 23 years in our family, you start experiencing
hair growth. I am 26 years old now, when I was in secondary
school, much hairs were not on my body. It started when I
finished my secondary school. I am not granting you this
interview as if I need help or money, no! I want to tell my story
and what it means to be a hairy woman. All I need is for an NGO
to take up my case as a woman with abnormal conditions and
also to act in the movie industry.”
She revealed to Sunday Sun that the change on her skin initially
made her uncomfortable, but following advice from good people, her
confidence was boosted. In her words: “The first time it started to
grow on my body, I was ashamed, but someone advised me that I
shouldn’t bother, that it is a blessing not a curse. The person told me
that I am unique, besides, wherever I go, I would be recognised. She
advised me that I shouldn’t be ashamed, rather that I should be
proud of myself. It was her that gave me strength and boosted my
self esteem. Some people think that I am a man. Some think I fixed
my breast to deceive people. Men especially find it difficult to believe
that I am a woman. It was when we interact that most men are
reassured that I am a woman. It has made me to be very popular and
recognised in public. It has boosted my confidence to socialize.
People want to identify with me to know the stuff I am made of. Some
want to find out where this girl is coming from. People call and dash
me money because of my hairy nature, but I don’t beg for money.”
Queen said she tried to stop the work of nature by applying all sorts
of cosmetics and native substances, all to no avail but it turned out
to cause more harm than good. “Before the advice came, I was
asking God why all these now? I was thinking of what to rub to clear
the hair from my skin. I rubbed tortoise faeces and a lot of things
people recommend for me to use, but it didn’t remove them, rather it
caused more harm than good as I started growing bumps and sores
while the hair was still coming out. So, I stopped rubbing those
things. I suffered those lumps trying to stop the growth,” she
narrated. She revealed that her worst time comes when the weather is
too hot and during the dry season. “When there is much heat, I feel
terrible, it doesn’t itch but it really inconveniences me most times.
That`s why I have to wear or put on light cloths because sweat soaks
my dress when I go out. Once you see me, you know that heat is
dealing with me as a result of my hairy skin. I used to shave it off but
if I want to shave all, it will cause me lumps all over my body. She
said she had not taken the medical option seriously. “I have not gone
to hospital. I don’t care anymore because it is from within my blood
and it is hereditary. I don’t need it because I can`t be using my
money on something that refuses to free me. A doctor had advised
that surgery can remove it, but not in Nigeria. Maybe outside the
country, but I am not interested.”
Queen revealed that her hair has not changed anything in her love
life, neither does it stop men from admiring her, rather it has turned
many heads to look at her. “A man that is meant for me will come
when the time comes. It is not a problem. I will get married, after all,
there are other disabled people that are married despite their
condition. When I was 18 or 19 years old, I was supposed to have
married, but it was just that the man was a hot tempered person. He
was my suitor and we ended it there. He was seeing the hair coming
little by little. People are appreciating me and a lot of people are still
coming for my hand in marriage. I have been seeing many men
coming to ask me for relationship, even one claimed he is from
aEuropean country that he came back to Nigeria to look for a woman
to marry. But most men just want a fling, they don’t want serious
relationship. I was doubting if he was real or not. I have admirers just
like every other girl. Most times, I have admires more than normal
girls. But most men are not sincere, my mother would say that love
is not by lip service. I have been hearing things like, I want to marry
you, but after sleeping with you, the man will end up dumping you for
another woman. My boyfriend likes me the way I look and I have not
been dumped because I am hairy. Men don’t break my heart. I don’t
trust men easily because I wouldn’t allow myself to have emotional
breakdown. I can`t wait for my heart to be broken. In my village, an
old woman has advised that she knows that I am not yet married, but
I should believe that my own person is coming. She said that when
my husband will come, I will find it difficult to believe that the man is
my own. She told me that is how her own daughter looks. But now I
have come to appreciate how I am created,” she said. Narrating her
most embarrassing moment in high density locations like market
places, she disclosed that people crave to see her face.
Queen revealed that her hair has not changed anything in her love
life, neither does it stop men from admiring her, rather it has turned
many heads to look at her. “A man that is meant for me will come
when the time comes. It is not a problem. I will get married, after all,
there are other disabled people that are married despite their
condition. When I was 18 or 19 years old, I was supposed to have
married, but it was just that the man was a hot tempered person. He
was my suitor and we ended it there. He was seeing the hair coming
little by little. People are appreciating me and a lot of people are still
coming for my hand in marriage. I have been seeing many men
coming to ask me for relationship, even one claimed he is from
aEuropean country that he came back to Nigeria to look for a woman
to marry. But most men just want a fling, they don’t want serious
relationship. I was doubting if he was real or not. I have admirers just
like every other girl. Most times, I have admires more than normal
girls. But most men are not sincere, my mother would say that love
is not by lip service. I have been hearing things like, I want to marry
you, but after sleeping with you, the man will end up dumping you for
another woman. My boyfriend likes me the way I look and I have not
been dumped because I am hairy. Men don’t break my heart. I don’t
trust men easily because I wouldn’t allow myself to have emotional
breakdown. I can`t wait for my heart to be broken. In my village, an
old woman has advised that she knows that I am not yet married, but
I should believe that my own person is coming. She said that when
my husband will come, I will find it difficult to believe that the man is
my own. She told me that is how her own daughter looks. But now I
have come to appreciate how I am created,” she said. Narrating her
most embarrassing moment in high density locations like market
places, she disclosed that people crave to see her face.
