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A man has hit back at trolls who have attacked him for his connection with 23-year-old Shauna Rae, the star of reality TV show I Am Shauna Rae.
When she was six months old Shauna suffered from brain cancer and the treatment impacted her growth, leaving her standing three feet and 10 inches tall as a fully grown adult.
In her reality show on TLC she went on a few dates with 26-year-old Dan Swygart, and since then they have been attacked by internet trolls who have poured hate on the pair of them.
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In response he has called for people to stop 'dehumanising' Shauna by attacking someone who has become a friend to her.
Taking to Instagram to respond to the trolls who attacked him for going on dates with Shauna, Dan poured cold water on the idea that he was in a relationship with her, saying they were 'still just good friends getting to know each other'.
He said: "I think it's absolutely disgusting, the attitude of some people. She's been through so much in life, she survived cancer as a child, she's always felt different and been treated different by society.
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"But how dare you take away her right, her human 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 towards some people's attitudes towards her and my friendship with her. I cannot believe some people who deny her the right to have a friendship or a connection with someone else."
Fortunately, not all of the messages he received since being on the show have been negative, and the Instagram post itself was filled with positive comments praising Dan and Shauna's friendship.
Dan ended the video by thanking everyone else who got in touch to talk about the positive impact the show had on them.
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He continued: "Despite all of the hate there has been some amazing things which have come from the show and I'm so proud to have had that positive impact on the world.
"So many people who have disabilities or have friends and family who have disabilities have reached out and said 'thank you' for showcasing that it's ok to build a connection, a friendship, with someone who's different by society's standards.
"It's given so many people hope that despite them being different they too can find an amazing friendship and connection with someone."
Dan first met Shauna when he sent her flowers and a card after watching the first season of her reality show, explaining that he had been 'really inspired by her emotional strength'.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, News, TV And Film
Joe Harker