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\n\nIn 1902, Mary met the love of her life, a man named Thomas Bevan. The two married and welcomed four children together, but their happiness didn\u2019t last long. After 14 years, Thomas passed away, leaving Mary heartbroken.\n
Her life became difficult as she was left to take care and provide for her children all by herself.\n
Unfortunately, around the time she turned 32, Mary started experiencing strange symptoms. Her face started changing gradually and she didn\u2019t know what was happening or what caused that change which impacted her both psychologically and financially. Mary\u2019s bones grew big, and her face became deformed. As a result, she lost her job and was unable to provide for her children any longer.\n
Back in the day, no one could diagnose her, but this poor woman suffered from acromegaly,\u00a0a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood, when a change in height doesn\u2019t occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of the hands, feet and face.\n
Today, a lot more is knows about this condition and there are ways to keep it under control, which wasn\u2019t the case during the time Mary lived.\n
\n\nCrushed, heartbroken, and poor, this woman saw an ad one day which read, \u201cWanted: Ugliest woman. Nothing repulsive, maimed or disfigured. Good pay guaranteed, and long engagement for successful applicant. Send recent photograph.\u201d\n
No matter how awful she felt about this \u2018job,\u2019 she saw no way out of her situation. She simply needed to do anything in order to feed her children. Above all, she was a mother.\n
Mary answered the ad and she was soon contacted by the circus\u2019 agent, a man named Claude Bartram, who later shared Mary\u2019s story.\n
\u201cShe was not repulsive at all. She had the kind of face one usually finds in a giant, a powerful, masculine jaw, prominent cheek-bones, nose and forehead, but she was unblemished, healthy and strong. She told me she did not like the idea of placing herself on exhibition, she was shy and did not want to be separated from her children,\u201d Bartram said, according to\u00a0Daily Star.\n \u201cI told her she would earn \u00a310 per week for a year, travelling expenses and all the money from the sale of picture postcards of herself, so she could provide for the education of her children.\u201d\n Her popularity brought her to the Dreamland Circus in Coney Island, New York, one of the most famous circuses there were. Mary Ann became an attraction, but then a doctor named Harvey Cushing, a leading neurosurgeon, spotted her and knew there was more behind ger huge face that he wanted to explore thoroughly.\n \u201cThis unfortunate woman who sits in the sideshow of Ringling Brothers \u2018between Fat Lady and Armless Wonder\u2019 and \u2018affects white lace hats, woollen mittens and high laced shoes\u2019 has a story which is far from mirth-provoking.\n \u201cShe, previously a vigorous and good-looking young woman, has become the victim of a disease known as acromegaly,\u201d he wrote in a letter to\u00a0Time magazine.\nIn no time, magazines were filled with Mary Ann\u2019s photos and everyone recognized her as \u2018the ugliest woman on Earth.\u2019\n