Amazing Esther and the skin in which she lived (4 photos + 1 video)

Nowadays, a person whose appearance is far from generally accepted standards of beauty can easily be called a crocodile. They say it’s painfully scary (terrible). And for this girl, “crocodileness” became a highlight.





Esther Parnell was born in Kenley, North Carolina on March 5, 1926. She was one of six children in the family. The girl's sister and three brothers were born with completely normal skin, and Esther herself and her brother William were affected by ichthyosis.



There are several forms of ichthyosis, a rare skin disease whose name comes from the Greek word ichthys, meaning fish. But the brother and sister were especially scaly. And they were compared to alligators that were hunted in the state. In addition to leaving the skin extremely dry and cracked, severe ichthyosis also inhibits hair growth. As a result, the children practically lost their eyelashes, and poor Esther lost almost all the hair on her head.

Their absence further intensified the children's strangeness. Their appearance predetermined their future fate and career, and the brother and sister began to act as human wonders.





William was known as Aloa the Alligator Boy, and Esther performed under the name Alice. The duo were often referred to as the "crocodile-skin twins", although they were not actually twins.

Much of the information in the brochures was outright nonsense. According to one of them, the appearance was explained by the fact that their mother, while pregnant with twins, was afraid of an alligator. Another prospectus stated that although they were twins, the couple were of different ages. Sometimes their names were changed, sometimes they were orphans, and sometimes they “baffled medical science” with their condition.

William was a good man. But his passion for alcohol destroyed him. In the end, he finally drank himself to death and died in 1959.



Esther, on the other hand, blossomed. Her lovely smile and charm charmed everyone who met her.

She married Thomas Blackmon at the age of twenty-two and became known as "The World's Strangest Mother" in 1948 when she gave birth to her first child. But Esther did not stop there and gave birth to six more. They were all completely healthy and had perfect skin. Neither one inherited ichthyosis.

Esther also grew professionally - she became a member of the Showmen's Association and was officially involved in show business for 56 years. She also starred in two films. In 1973 the film “Mutations” was released, and in 1977 the film “The Guardian”.

Esther Blackmon died on August 24, 2003, leaving behind seven children, 16 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

She passed away just twelve days after her beloved husband, remaining in the memory of others as a light, bright and, despite her appearance, a happy person.