A 23-year-old woman who is looking for love while stuck in the body of an eight-year-old girl has introduced her parents to a potential new partner after he slid into her direct messages.
At 3 feet, 10 inches tall, Shauna Rae Lesick is the average height of a third-grader and weighs just 50 pounds. Her stunted growth is a side effect of brain cancer treatment as an infant, and she is frequently mistaken for a child.
She has previously been candid about the unique dating struggles she has faced as a result of her condition, once revealing her parents’ fears that she would attract pedophiles because of her childlike appearance.
But, in a recent episode of her TLC reality series ‘I Am Shauna Rae,’ the reality star took a big leap forward in love, opening up about how she connected with 26-year-old Dan Swygart, a traveler from Wales who reached out to her and sent her flowers after watching the first season of her show.
Shauna Rae Lesick, 23, introduced Dan Swygart, 26, to her parents on a recent episode of her TLC reality series ‘I Am Shauna Rae’
Shauna’s stunted growth is a side effect of her surviving brain cancer as an infant. Chemotherapy rendered her pituitary gland dormant, causing pituitary dwarfism
‘Dan and I met through social media, and we talked for a couple months. He travels so often, so he doesn’t have service everywhere he goes,’ she explained. ‘We kind of just got along, and we have a lot similar in our lives.’
Shauna noted that she has ‘always wanted to travel,’ and Dan’s adventures are when ‘piqued her interest.’
‘He’s just a nice guy,’ she added.
After getting to know her, he came to her hometown in Long Island, New York, to meet her in person. They spent the day at an aquarium and escape room with her 18-year-old half-sister Rylee.
‘Rylee and I were both very anxious because we didn’t know what he wanted,’ Shauna admitted. ‘He was also talking to both of us casually, so we didn’t know who he was into.’
Shauna has been candid about how her parents are worried she’ll attract pedophiles because she is 3 feet, 10 inches tall, the average height of a third-grader
Dan, a traveler from Wales, saw the first season of her reality show and reached out to her on social media before sending her flowers, which led to them talking regularly
After getting to know her, he came to the U.S. to meet her in person. They spent the day at an aquarium and escape room with her 18-year-old half-sister Rylee (pictured)
‘Rylee and I were both very anxious because we didn’t know what he wanted,’ Shauna admitted. ‘He was also talking to both of us casually, so we didn’t know who he was into’
The next time Dan came to visit Shauna, he came over to her house to make sushi rolls. She introduced him to her mother and stepfather, Patty and Mark Schrankel, who couldn’t resist giving him the third degree.
Shauna has been candid about how her parents are worried that she will attract pedophiles because of her childlike appearance.
She was six months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. She had surgery and underwent three years of chemotherapy. While the treatment was successful, it rendered her pituitary gland almost dormant, stunting her growth.
She grew another eight inches with the help of synthetic hormone injections, but when she was 16, her doctor told her that her bones had fused and she wasn’t going to grow anymore. She was just a few inches shy of 4 feet.
Patty wanted to know if they were more than friends and how often they talk, which Dan said was almost daily at that point.
Shauna admitted that she’s not sure what’s in store for her and Dan in the future because she’s apprehensive about starting a long-distance relationship
The next time Dan came to visit Shauna, he came over to her house to make sushi rolls and met her mother and stepfather, Patty and Mark Schrankel
Patty wanted to know if they were more than friends and how often they talk, which Dan said was almost daily at that point
‘I think Dan would be a really good match for Shauna because he’s very smart [and] adventurous,’ her stepfather said
‘I’m not really irritated by my family when they bring up those future questions. I haven’t talked about it with Dan. I’m kind of letting it go as it may, but it’s nice kind of try to see if he can answer it,’ Shauna said in her confessional.
Dan looked visibly uncomfortable with the interrogation, but he was open about how he wanted to take their daughter around the world with him on his travels.
‘I think Dan would be a really good match for Shauna because he’s very smart [and] adventurous. Shauna’s smart but not very adventurous,’ her stepfather told the camera. ‘I think he could pull her out of [her] comfort zone but still make her safe.’
Shauna admitted that she’s not sure what’s in store for her and Dan in the future because she’s apprehensive about starting a long-distance relationship.
‘I haven’t actually really thought about if Dan and I were in a relationship and how that would look,’ she explained. ‘I assume that we would probably try long distance, but I’ve been in a long-distance relationship. It’s not my cup of tea.’
Shauna’s parents tried to be supportive of Dan wanting to take her to Malaysia for a wedding, but she called them ‘bold-faced liars,’ insisting they’d never let her go
The visit ended with Dan visiting her while she bartended a charity event
Shauna and Dan shared an awkward slow dance before he left. She wasn’t sure when she would see him again, but she was confident he would be back
She noted that he would either have to settle down somewhere, or she would have to start traveling with him. He had already asked her to go to Malaysia with him to be his plus-one at a wedding.
‘Dan taking Shauna out of the country, I think it would be really cool. I think she’d have a good time,’ her stepdad said.
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ her mother chimed in.
Shauna called them both ‘bold-faced liars,’ insisting that they would never let her leave the country with him.
The visit ended with Dan visiting her while she bartended a charity event. They shared an awkward slow dance before he left.
‘I’m sure that I’ll see Dan again,’ she told the camera. ‘He’s coming back.’
