Mairead Kelly 25-year-old accountant who became a 'mermaid' after brain tumor removal Country: Great Britain

Content:

1. Meet Maired Kelly - The Mermaid Accountant
2. A Cambridge Graduate Turned Office Worker
3. Defying the Rare Thyrotropinoma
4. A Journey to Recovery
5. A Zen-Like Experience
6. Mermaid Performances

Meet Maired Kelly - The Mermaid Accountant

Overcoming Brain Tumor

Maired Kelly, a 25-year-old accountant, fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a mermaid after successfully undergoing two brain tumor removal surgeries. The brain tumor was the primary reason why Kelly decided to pursue her passion of becoming a mermaid. After the surgeries, she completely recovered and embarked on a journey with her two friends to travel across the country and perform in spectacular mermaid shows at various events and celebrations.

A Cambridge Graduate Turned Office Worker

Kelly, a graduate of Cambridge University, has been working in an office for the past three years, dealing with piles of important documents. However, in her free time, she works as a professional mermaid. Kelly explains, "I decided to do it because I love swimming, and I always wanted to perform in front of an audience. It turned out to be a fantastic opportunity, something different and quite extraordinary."

Defying the Rare Thyrotropinoma

Kelly's diagnosis of thyrotropinoma, a rare and uncommon type of benign pituitary tumor, presented additional challenges. This condition is diagnosed in only 1-2% of cases involving benign brain tumors. It is accompanied by irritability, nervousness, sweating, tremors, insomnia, weight loss, bruising, brittle hair, and thinning skin. Kelly recalls her first experience as a mermaid, saying, "I was quite nervous the first time I entered the water because after two surgeries, my nasal passages were not the same. I wasn't sure how they would react to the pressure underwater, but there were no problems."

A Journey to Recovery

Kelly discovered her illness immediately after graduating from university in 2010. A year later, it was decided to remove the tumor. However, after the surgery, benign growths resurfaced, and in January 2013, Kelly underwent a second operation, after which everything settled down. Reflecting on those challenging times, she says, "When I was studying at university, I had a lot of health issues. I was really exhausted, my hair was falling out, and bruising appeared easily. I pursued swimming because it was one of the few things I could handle. Swimming turned out to be very beneficial in my path to recovery."

A Zen-Like Experience

For Kelly, the sensations she experiences underwater are her own form of enlightenment and happiness when the rest of the world becomes blocked out, calm, and peaceful. She shares, "The awakening desire to swim gracefully with a tail and monofin to perform underwater was also a significant boost in my healing process." Kelly joined forces with Frankie Dubery, a 24-year-old Cambridge graduate, and her friend, 25-year-old Demelza Hillier, to become a team of mermaids. They train for up to ten hours a week in cold lake waters to showcase their talents to enthusiastic audiences.

Mermaid Performances

The trio, known as "Merlesque," performs as underwater beauties at various events, including parties and black-tie balls. Their performances have taken them beyond their homeland, with invitations to perform in Australia and Ibiza. Each silicone mermaid costume with scales and fins costs £3,000 (approximately $4,700). Kelly, also known as "Ondine" in the water shows, has no regrets about her decision to "dive underwater." She firmly believes that her university degree was not earned in vain. While some may argue that she should be pursuing a career in line with her academic degree, Kelly finds value in both "juggling stacks of papers" and living a "fantastic mermaid life." She notes that in real life, many people do not work in their field of study after university, yet they still make the most of the knowledge acquired during their student years.

Strong-spirit

Kambou Sie	Tres Johnson	Eugene DeBruin
Lila DeLine	Donnie Fritts	Jeff Adams