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Detroit woman with skin condition reminded of her beauty after meeting special animal on safari

Posted at 11:10 PM, Jun 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-20 09:36:09-04

A Detroit woman with a rare skin condition is reminded of how great it is to be different after meeting a very special animal while on safari in South Africa.

What started out as blisters on Jai Fears' skin in 2005, quickly spread all over her body. After visiting several doctors, she still received no diagnosis for her condition. 

Fears wrote in a Facebook post on June 16 that the skin disease left her with painful blisters that would turn into scabs. Those scabs would then turn into spots.

As the small, brownish spots spread over her body, Fears would cover her skin with makeup every day, she said. To boost her self-esteem, she jokingly told people she was "part cheetah."

On a recent trip to South Africa, Fears was reminded of just how beautiful she is after an encounter with an actual cheetah. 

"I met this beauty and she confirmed with a smooch how great it is to be different," Fears wrote in the Facebook post. 

The photos shared on Facebook show the cheetah giving Fears a "smooch" as she describes in the Facebook post, as if they've been long-time friends. 

Fears, who is a singer and dancer that performs with R&B singer Charlie Wilson, said that the trip to Africa was to perform in a show, which was canceled. But thanks to the chance encounter, the trip turned out to have a happy ending after all.