Mui Thomas: The Abandoned Baby Who Defied the Odds to Become a Groundbreaking Rugby Referee

Mui Thomas was abandoned at birth in Hong Kong after she was born with harlequin ichthyosis, an extremely rare genetic skin disorder. The condition produces thick, plate-like skin that cracks, cannot sweat normally and is highly prone to infection. Doctors expected her not to survive infancy.

At about 18 months she was fostered by Roger and Tina Thomas, long-time Hong Kong residents. They formally adopted her when she was three. They were told she would not live long; they chose to give her a family for whatever time she had. With daily hours of bathing and constant skin care, she outlived that prognosis and is now among the oldest known survivors of the disease.

School years brought intense bullying and public prejudice. Secondary school and later cyberbullying were especially harsh. Her parents pushed her to keep going and later helped build a public platform around her story.

Thomas made history as the first rugby referee in the world with harlequin ichthyosis, qualifying through the Hong Kong Rugby Union after starting as a volunteer around junior games. She has also worked as a special-needs carer and yoga instructor and speaks internationally on visible difference.

Through The Girl Behind The Face, an initiative started by her parents and now involving Thomas herself, she campaigns against bullying and for the acceptance of physical difference. She has described herself as proof of what can happen when someone stands up for a child others were ready to write off.

Source: The Girl Behind The Face initiative; CNN profile of Mui Thomas (2015); South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Rugby Union coverage of her refereeing career.