Aiesha Ross, 14, with the notes for her speech, "The New Normal", which she presented at her high school. Photo: WARWICK SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ

After being bullied so badly she had to change schools, Aiesha Ross is working to create a "new normal".

The 14-year-old New Zealand Wanganui Girls' College student, wrote a speech about the health problems she faces, and how she wants to work to adjust what society views as normal.

Her mum, Louise Elliott, said that when Aiesha was born they noticed something was wrong.

"She was born with an imperforate anus... that was picked up after she was born and she had to be flown to Wellington."

While there, doctors noticed she had associated cloacal abnormalities, leaving the nerves in her spine controlling her bowel and bladder damaged, so Aiesha has no control over them.

It was also discovered she only had one kidney, and no vaginal pouch, so one had to be created for her which left her with no uterus or cervix.

Aiesha has a colostomy bag and also uses a tube to empty her bladder, and she said after starting high school she encountered a rough time.

"Some of them had found out and were teasing me about it and were basically treating me different and bullying me because I wasn't the same as them.


"That was what I got teased about, was that I wouldn't be able to have children and I wouldn't be able to find a husband, because [they thought] I'm disgusting."

Her class was asked to write a speech on what teenagers need, so Aiesha said with the support of her mum she decided to highlight the need for everyone to feel normal.

She said she had wanted to talk about her own struggles to let other teenagers know they should be comfortable in their own skin, and she wanted to work to create a "new normal".

"There is no such thing as being normal.

"I'm sick of the old normal. Let's take a stand and make a new normal, a normal where no matter who, or what you are, you are normal.

"In my speech I said I was disgusted in myself, but nobody should have to feel that way because of somebody else."

Aiesha said she had no regrets about sharing her story and hoped it would give others the courage to do the same.

"I can just be myself, I don't have to hide anything... I feel more happy in general and more free."

Elliott said Aiesha's condition was extremely rare, and she was told by their doctor that in 20 years he had only heard of one other person who had the same medical problems.

However, they had always treated her the same.

"She gets treated like every other one of my kids... because as far as we are concerned she's not any different."

Watch Aiesha's full speech here or above.

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