Shauna Rae has opened up about her fertility journey and the possibility of becoming a mother.
The 25-year-old gained attention after appearing on the TLC reality series I Am Shauna Rae. The show documents Shauna's life as she navigates adulthood as a woman with pituitary dwarfism.
In a recent video posted on her social media, Shauna became emotional as she shared her desire to freeze her eggs in hopes of becoming a mother in the future.
Highlights
- TLC star Shauna Rae launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her fertility procedures.
- Shauna was born with brain cancer and said her chemotherapy negatively affected her fertility.
- The 25-year-old, diagnosed with pituitary dwarfism at sixteen, battles online trolls who criticize her appearance.
"A lot of people ask the question, 'Can I have babies in my small frame?' You're asking the wrong question. It's not, 'Can I have babies due to my disability or dwarfism?' It's, 'Can I have babies due to my chemo and cancer?'" the reality star said on TikTok on September 7.
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99
"My disability has nothing to do with how I'd carry a child. It would probably be an automatic C-section versus a natural birth just because I am small and children are large. I know plenty of people with dwarfism who've had children," she continued.
Shauna was born with a malignant (cancerous) glioma on the right side of her brain and underwent immediate surgery at 6 months old. She then began chemotherapy, a treatment that led to remission.
When she was in kindergarten, doctors noticed that she was significantly shorter than her classmates and peers.
Ultimately, after going on and off growth hormones, Shauna was diagnosed with pituitary dwarfism at the age of sixteen, a side-effect of her brain cancer and subsequent chemotherapy.
The 25-year-old famously appeared on the reality show I Am Shauna Rae, which documents Shauna's life as an adult with pituitary dwarfism
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99
"I always thought about the idea of having children. When I was sixteen, I deemed it improbable and [thought it was] not gonna happen," Shauna said.
In the video, the young woman revealed that her doctors assessed her fertility at 0.6 on a scale of 1 to 10, a drop from the 0.8 she had shown two months prior. Scores below one are considered low fertility.
"I really wanted to freeze my eggs, but I can't afford it. My insurance doesn't cover it. I could be infertile for all I know, and it absolutely sucks. I don't know how much time I have.
"I don't even know if I want this, but it's been taken away from me, and that's not OK," she said, adding that her fertility scares her because of the "financial, social, and self-acceptance battle."
Shauna was born with brain cancer and underwent chemotherapy as a child, which later affected her fertility
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99
In many cases, cancer surgery and treatments can be more likely to interfere with parts of the reproductive process than the cancer itself, affecting the ability to have children, the American Cancer Society notes.
For women, chemotherapy can stop the ovaries from working, leading to infertility that can be temporary or permanent. It can also induce menopause, according to Cancer Research UK.
Shauna is uncertain about having children, worried they might face bullying or judgment due to her condition, and she doesn't want them to feel pressured by that burden.
"I don't know if I want to bring a kid into this world and be like, 'This is the situation you have to deal with. And it's not your fault; you don't actually have to live with it, but because I'm your mom, you have to put up with it and stand up for me.'
Growing up, she watched one of her brothers, Shawn, go through that situation. "He would have to deal with people dealing with me. And it's not fair. I don't think it would be fair to my child. I don't want to put that pressure on someone who doesn't even know what life is."
"I always thought about the idea of having children. When I was sixteen, I deemed it improbable and [thought it was] not gonna happen," Shauna said
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99
Despite the uncertainty, Shauna wants to plan ahead, so she has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the expensive egg-freezing procedures.
"My insurance doesn't cover it and it's a multi-thousand-dollar process that I cannot afford and I don't even know if they would get anything out of it.
"They say you have to do two surgery procedures to get really good results, and I don't know if I could afford that twice.
"I don't have longer than six or so months until I potentially become infertile (...) Anything at all can help towards a healthy future for myself."
On the show, she documents the challenges of finding a partner, as her 3'11" stature often "attracts creeps"
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99/danswygart
Another goal of hers is to raise awareness about people living with pituitary dwarfism, something she's able to achieve through her show.
"I'm hoping that the I Am Shauna Rae show and anything else via social media can bring awareness to this because I'm not the only person with pituitary dwarfism. Being open and honest about it is the best way to go about it," said Shauna, who's preparing to move out of her parents' house.
On the show, she offers a glimpse into her dating life and the challenges of finding a partner, as she explains that her 3'11" (1.19 m) stature often "attracts creeps."
Her connection with her ex, Dan Swaygart, was documented in season two. The two broke up in April 2023.
Speaking on The Sarah Fraser Show podcast, Dan said he was judged and categorized "in the most hated group of people on the planet" while he was dating Shauna.
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99/danswygart
"All you really need to know is they make me happy and I don't know if I'd be as far in my goals without them. Please know that all I ask from y'all is to support me and refrain from being hateful toward them or my relationship," the 25-year-old wrote, covering the person's face with an emoji in a photo.
Shauna has started a GoFundMe to raise money for a multi-thousand-dollar egg-freezing procedure
Image credits: thereal_shaunarae99
Despite her efforts to raise awareness about her condition, Shauna still has to deal with online trolls. Recently, a TikTok user threatened fans in the chat for complimenting her and then reported her livestream, accusing her of being "under 13."
The reality star defended herself from critics, saying, "I don't look like a child. If you meet me in person, I look like an adult. I'm just short. And I may potentially not be able to have babies. And none of this affects my womanhood."
People congratulated Shauna on moving out of her parents' house and wished her luck on her fertility journey
