True Story Of The 'Human Ken Doll' Is Actually Heartbreaking

Rodrigo Alves wasn't born with a face that looked like it came off of an assembly line at the Hasbro factory. He was just an average kid, but once he began attending school, major problems started to arise.

Because Rodrigo came across more feminine that most of the other boys at his school, he was a prime target for bullies. He admitted, "I had my face pushed into the urinal and was thrown down the stairs.”

This torment was too much to handle. He was simply acting like himself, but nearly everyone around him rejected his naturally flamboyant persona. But, it wasn't just his personality that drew in haters, either.

He had plenty of interests that one might categorize as "feminine." He loved Barbie dolls, high fashion, and he was absolutely infatuated with Disney princesses. This did not sit well with his testosterone-riddled male classmates.

The very worst case of abuse came once he entered teenage-hood. "At the age of 13 two boys at school sexually abused me. I was very feminine and weak. I couldn’t defend myself. It was very traumatic."

The sexual, emotional, and physical abuse the Brazilian suffered took a horrific toll on not only his self-esteem but his entire outlook on the way he was living his life as a whole. For Rodrigo, he only had one option.

He needed to do everything in his power to turn himself into the manliest specimen possible. The only way to do that? Lots of plastic surgery, and he was ready to go under the knife by any means necessary.

Rodrigo was only 17 years old when he underwent his first surgery. Immediately, he was hooked. He would eventually undergo 72 surgeries and spend over half a million dollars to achieve a look dubbed the "Human Ken Doll."

Regardless of how you think he looked after it was all over, he turned into somewhat of a minor celebrity. People wanted a picture with the man whose life goal resulted in a human-sized action figure.

But, although Rodrigo may have temporarily achieved his dream, his love of plastic surgery wasn't something to feel proud about. It was actually a dark sign of a much deeper mental issue.

All of the bullying Rodrigo endured as a child caused a severe case of body dysmorphia. He was convinced his physical appearance was so incredibly flawed the only thing that could help was dozens of surgical operations.

One of the most bizarre operations he underwent was having four ribs removed in order to comfortably fit in to a particular blazer. That's how severely damaged his body image was after years of abuse.

Even though Rodrigo never set out to turn into a Ken doll, that's the way the media frenzy around his obsession labeled it as, and it stuck. Unfortunately, there were also those who labeled him a "freak."

Interestingly enough, Rodrigo was well-aware with every new surgery came higher chances of problems arising. His mind, however, forced him to keep going since to him it was the only way to potentially erase the pain of childhood.

However, even though Rodrigo successfully went through all the surgeries he wanted, he still wasn't content on the inside. “I have tried my best to behave like a man but deep inside I was never happy.”

The South American spent his whole life trying to find an environment where he truly felt like his wings were spread as far as possible. That setting eluded him for years, until he attended a photo shoot in New York City.

Someone working on the shoot handed Rodrigo a dress to wear just for giggles. This nonchalant gesture took Rodrigo's mental state by storm. This was what he craved. He realized in that moment that he was a woman!

Even though she spent so much money becoming more masculine, Rodrigo never stopped fantasizing about women's clothing and accessories. She pushed the feelings deep down, but once she rocked a dress, she was slammed with the freeing epiphany.

This realization meant more surgery to become a woman, of course, but Rodrigo was ready; "I’m known as Ken but inside I’ve always felt like Barbie.” Rodrigo, who changed her name to "Roddy," felt at home in her new skin.

Accepting she was a transgender woman allowed closed doors in Roddy's life to swing open and free her from the angst she suffered throughout her life. It's an angst many others also feel, which drove Roddy to seek the council of Angela Ponce, who already overcame much of what Roddy is now facing.

Much like Roddy, Angela Ponce faced an uphill climb ever since her childhood. Born in Seville, Spain, in 1991, she had to put up with constant bullying and harassment. Many in her community couldn't process the fact that she was different.

For them, the issue was that Angela was assigned male at birth but always identified as a girl. Her family always accepted that reality, but other students at Angela's school were less than tolerant.

As she progressed with her transition through her teens, Angela felt increasingly isolated. She promised herself that once she got older, she would stand up for transgender kids. All Angela needed was a platform.

That opportunity arrived right on her 18th birthday. Taking note of Angela's good looks and remarkable life story, a modeling agency signed her to a contract. All of a sudden, the girl who wanted to hide from the world was posing on billboards all across Spain.

Between modeling gigs, Angela dipped her toes into the competitive beauty circuit. She couldn't believe how quickly she progressed. Then in 2015, this relative newcomer shocked Spain by winning the regional Miss World Cadiz title — a huge stepping stone.

That victory made Angela eligible for the 2015 Miss Spain crown. By this point, transgender beauty queens were making huge strides. Across the pond, Jenna Talackova won the distinction as the first transgender contestant in a Miss Universe Canada competition.

Sadly, Angela wasn't destined to be as lucky. While Miss Universe opened the door to transgender entrants back in 2012, the Miss World Spain organization wasn't held to such standards. It was only a matter of time before they learned her full story.

Once they heard she was transgender, Angela got the axe. The pageant board disqualified her from the national competition for, in their eyes, not being "naturally born" a woman. As much as she protested, the model was unable to change their minds.

That decision crushed Angela, though she knew that giving up wasn't an option. There was too much at stake. She doubled down on her workload, chasing down more ad campaigns and entering in more competitions.

It took years, but Angela eventually found her shot at redemption. Leaving behind the prehistorically minded Miss World organization, she gained an invitation to the 2018 Miss Universe Spain content. This was her biggest stage yet.

Not even Angela could have predicted that she would go home with the Miss Spain title that year. It was huge, as it made her an instant star in her home country. In addition, the win gave her a chance to speak to the entire world.

That's because she automatically became part of the field in the Miss Universe international competition. This mammoth event had never featured a transgender woman before, so all eyes were on Angela. Of course, not everyone was happy about it.

Some pageant fans bristled at the prospect, and a few bigots threatened the event. What encouraged Angela, however, was seeing the legions of LBGT advocates flock to her. As they celebrated her success, she understood she wasn't alone in this battle.

Naturally, Angela planned on making more than just an appearance at the competition. She wanted that crown. Drawing upon her years of training, she glided through each Miss Universe event. The impressed audience wondered if they were about to witness history.

Despite a strong showing, Angela fell short of the top spot that year. Miss Philippines came away victorious, but Angela still looked at that pageant as the most rewarding experience of her young life.

On one level, she made the pageant industry more accessible to transgender people. "I changed the rules," Angela realized. But on a larger scale, she increased her community's visibility by leaps and bounds.

She directed her new fans to the Daniela Foundation, a nonprofit she worked with to provide assistance to struggling trans kids. With this new influx of support, Angela and her colleagues hoped to stem the tide of bullying.

On a more fundamental level, Angela challenged popular conceptions about what transgender people could be. She knew she couldn't achieve equality all by herself, but she opened up an important conversation, one that continues to expand each day.