Dragon lady spreads her wings after shocking diagnosis and becomes a real-life Medusa!

Los Angeles, California - Tiamat Legion Medusa isn't like anyone else, and she likes it that way. For several years, she's been transforming her body to look like a real dragon, but that's not the only change at play in her life.

After getting life-altering news, Tiamat Legion Medusa decided it was time for a change.
After getting life-altering news, Tiamat Legion Medusa decided it was time for a change.  © Screenshot/Instagram/tiamatdragonlady

In her former life, Medusa was known as Richard Hernandez, a run-of-the-mill bank employee. But once Hernandez got an HIV diagnosis, she knew it was time to start living life to the max. And so her journey began!

However, growing into her true self meant more than transitioning to womanhood. For her, it meant becoming something other than human, which is how the process of becoming half-human, half-reptile began.

In a video for In The Know, Medusa explained why she wanted to be a dragon, saying: "I can deal with being half human as long as I'm half reptilian. What I can't deal with is being all human, because being human has not been very nice to me in my life."

On her quest, Medusa had her ears cut off, her eyeballs tattooed green, eyebrow implants inserted, her tongue bifurcated, 32 teeth removed, and scales tattooed on every surface of her body!

Medusa currently works as a fashion model, doing oddball photoshoots. She often dresses up like a demon or wears Medusa-themed headdresses, doing amazing impressions of her mythical namesake.

When asked what makes her so happy despite all the difficult circumstances she'd had to face, Tiamat Legion Medusa says living in the sunshine of Los Angeles as her truest self is all the reason she needs to smile.

Cover photo: Screenshot/Instagram/tiamatdragonlady

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