The man who was branded a ‘sicko’ for dating a 23-year-old woman who is trapped in the body of an eight-year-old has given an update on their relationship, explaining that the pair are ‘still good friends’ and are continuing ‘to get to know each other.’
Dan Swygart, 26, came under fire back in December, after he went on a series of dates with Shauna Rae Lesick, whose growth was stunted as a side effect of brain cancer treatment that she received as an infant.
Shauna – who measures three-feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds, the average size of a third grader – first started talking to Dan, from Wales, on social media, and after chatting for awhile, he decided to jet off to her hometown in Long Island, New York, so that they could meet in person.
Their meet-up was documented in an episode of her TLC reality series, I Am Shauna Rae, but after Dan appeared in the show, he was bombarded by a slew of backlash from people who questioned his motives and called the pairing ‘weird’ and ‘disturbing’ due to her ‘childlike appearance.’
The man who was branded a ‘sicko’ for dating a 23-year-old woman who is trapped in the body of an eight-year-old has given an update on their relationship
Dan Swygart, 26, came under fire back in December , after he went on a series of dates with Shauna Rae Lesick, whose growth was stunted as a side effect of brain cancer treatment
Dan explained on his Instagram Stories that the pair are ‘still good friends’ and are continuing ‘to get to know each other’
Soon after, Dan announced that the two had decided they were better off as pals rather than romantic partners.
Now, he has revealed where he and Shauna stand – three months after the episode premiered.
Shauna (seen with a friend) measures three-feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds, the average size of a third grader
While sharing a news article about himself to his Instagram Stories, Dan wrote, ‘Literally every single time I go on Facebook or YouTube all I see are videos of me and Shauna.’
He added: ‘Me and Shauna are still good friends, getting to know each other.’
Dan previously explained that he reached out to Shauna after watching the first season of her show and becoming ‘inspired by her emotional strength.’
He sent her some flowers and a card saying: ‘Go live your best life. Wishing you all the happiness you deserve.’
They then started messaging online, before he flew to New York to see her, where they went on a series of dates – all of which, were showcased in the show.
During the episode, Shauna gushed about how ‘similar’ she and Dan – who has a knack for traveling and is often jetting off on various vacations – were, explaining that it was his adventures that ‘piqued her interest.’
The pair spent their first day together at an aquarium and escape room, and were joined by her 18-year-old half-sister, Rylee.
Shauna first started talking to Dan, from Wales, on social media, and after chatting for awhile, he decided to jet off to her hometown in New York, so that they could meet in person
Their meet-up was documented in an episode of her TLC reality series , I Am Shauna Rae, but after Dan appeared in the show, he was bombarded by a slew of backlash
In another part of the show, Dan came over to her house to make sushi rolls.
‘I haven’t actually really thought about if Dan and I were in a relationship and how that would look,’ Shauna said in her confessional during the show.
‘I assume that we would probably try long distance, but I’ve been in a long-distance relationship and it’s not my cup of tea.’
Dan’s visit to the States ended with him hanging out with 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.’
Shauna was six months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.
She had surgery and underwent three years of chemotherapy – and while the treatment was successful, it made her pituitary gland – which monitors and regulates many bodily functions by producing hormones – almost dormant, stunting her growth.
She was able to grow 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.
After the episode came out, many people flooded the comment section on YouTube with their thoughts about Dan and Shauna’s relationship, with some people calling it ‘concerning,’ ‘uncomfortable,’ ‘creepy,’ and ‘not right.’
‘Sorry but the fact that he spotted her online and contacted her on purpose makes me feel uncomfortable since looks are usually the first and most important impression you get online,’ one person wrote.
Many people questioned his motives and called the pairing ‘weird’ and ‘disturbing’ due to her ‘childlike appearance’
Shauna was six months old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. She is seen as a baby
‘It would be totally different if they got to know each other by coincidence in real life and he got to love her for her character and was sort of seeing past her childlike appearance.
‘Dan almost seems especially attracted to her BECAUSE she is tiny which is concerning. I am sorry.’
‘I’m sorry, but any man that wants to date her – there is definitely something not right with him,’ another added.
‘Yes, she is 23, but she looks and talks like an eight-year-old. She also does not act like a mature woman. She is childlike.
‘If any man or woman can honestly say that they can see her as a “sexual woman,” they are either lying or sick. PERIOD.’
‘Yeah this is super strange and the parents should watch out … Why would he go out of his way to be with someone who still at the most looks 11 years old?’ asked someone else.
‘I’m a guy and Shauna seems very naïve about the world and there are men who are very charismatic or good looking that can use people.
‘I hope he’s legit and if he is she is very very lucky since predatory men are more likely to be into her.’
‘Guy 100 per cent has a fetish. Despite how nice of a young woman she may be, she STILL looks like a child,’ a different user said.
She had surgery and underwent three years of chemotherapy – and while the treatment was successful, it made her pituitary gland almost dormant, stunting her growth
She was able to grow a little 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
Following the negative response, Dan shared a video to Instagram clapping back at the haters, and he called their accusations ‘absolutely disgusting’
‘I don’t know about this guy… I still think it’s creepy,’ agreed another viewer, while a sixth message said, ‘He looks at her a bit weird. I think he’s got a weird kink. Idk.’
‘Oh yeah, he’s a creep who just wanted to be on TV,’ someone else wrote.
‘Yes, she is an adult, but she looks like a kid. Her body looks like a kid. It’s sad that this is probably what most guys that want to date her are like, but it’s the truth,’ another person said.
‘How dare you take away her right to have a connection, a friendship, a relationship with someone else?’ Dan scathed. ‘Who are you to say that she can’t have that? I am absolutely disgusted by some people’s attitudes towards her and my friendship with her’
Following the negative response, Dan shared a video to Instagram clapping back at the haters, and he called their accusations ‘absolutely disgusting.’
‘Me and Shauna are just good friends, we’re getting to know each other,’ he said at the time.
‘She survived cancer as a child, she’s always felt different and was treated different by society.
‘How dare you take away her right to have a connection, a friendship, a relationship with someone else?
‘Who are you to say that she can’t have that? I am absolutely disgusted by some people’s attitudes towards her and my friendship with her.’
He also admitted that ‘despite all the hate,’ some ‘amazing things’ have come out of his appearance in the series.
He added that he hoped others who may be suffering from a disability could watch it and feel hopeful that they too could form a ‘connection with someone.’
‘I’m so proud to have had that positive impact on the world,’ Dan continued.
‘So many people who have disabilities or they have friends and family who have disabilities have reached out and said, “Thank you for showcasing that.”
‘It’s OK to build a connection of friendship with someone who’s different by society standards.
‘It’s given so many people hope that despite them being different, they too can find an amazing friendship and connection with someone.’
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