© 2026 ABC News

Growing up, Yarbrough said she never met anyone with her condition, so it was important for her to be a role model when it came to spreading awareness.

\"A lot of people don't realize that there are people out there that have daily struggles, and I realized that not a lot of people are aware about craniofacial differences,” she said.

@rhysyarbrough

Reply to @brian.bri2 Genius!! ##goldenharsyndrome ##microtia ##ear

♬ Its Gettin' Old. - Cottonwood Firing Squad

Since her post, Yarbrough has started working with PopSockets to raise money for the Craniofacial Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“I cannot believe someone like me gets this opportunity ... to raise money for something that I truly care about,\" she said.

\"PHOTO:
Rhys Yarbrough
PHOTO: Rhys Yarbrough putting on a mask.
>

The 20-year-old, who works at Starbucks while studying political science and who hopes to graduate next year, also uses her platform to advocate for wearing masks.

\"The support I've gotten has been overwhelming,\" Yarbrough added. “The people have daily struggles to that you may not recognize, and not all disabilities or impairments can be seen. So it's important to ... be kind of aware of what other people could possibly be going through.”

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Living/tiktokker-brings-attention-rare-disease-viral-videos/story?id=73837623","legacySlug":"/living/story/tiktokker-brings-attention-rare-disease-viral-videos-73837623","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"18:08","publishDate":"10-28-2020","updatedTime":"20:02","updatedDate":"10-28-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"Rhys Yarbrough, 20, is a full-time student and works at Starbucks.","credit":"Rhys Yarbrough","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/Rhys_Main_1603823386131_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/28/2020 18:08:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":73837623,"headline":"Meet the TikTokker shedding light on rare disease","mediaAssetTitle":"201026_Moore_Rhys","description":"Rhys Yarbrough and her clever hack have elevated her to role model status.","duration":"2:13","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/10/201028_gma_digital_rhysyarbrough_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["73790880","73696447","69904502"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"October 23, 2020","headline":"UPS driver spreads joy by taking viral selfies with pups on his route","section":"living","slug":"/living/story/ups-driver-viral-adorable-selfies-takes-pups-route-73790880","id":73790880,"image":{"alt":"UPS driver spreads joy by taking viral selfies with pups on his route","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/Main_JasonHardesty_1603472825617_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Jason Hardesty","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"October 20, 2020","headline":"Artist goes viral on TikTok for stunning celebrity portraits using food","section":"food","slug":"/food/story/tiktok-creator-food-make-stunning-celebrity-portraits-73696447","id":73696447,"image":{"alt":"Artist goes viral on TikTok for stunning celebrity portraits using food","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/201020_KatybERRYtiktok_ca_1603138237617_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Ruby Perman","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"April 8, 2020","headline":"Teen makeup artist incorporates her feeding tube into gorgeous beauty looks","section":"style","slug":"/style/story/14-year-makeup-artist-incorporates-feeding-tube-gorgeous-69904502","id":69904502,"image":{"alt":"Teen makeup artist incorporates her feeding tube into gorgeous beauty looks","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/OliviaGlammed_Main_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Instagram/olivia.glammed","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Meet the TikTokker shedding light on rare disease","description":"Rhys Yarbrough and her clever hack have elevated her to role model status.","duration":"2:13","uploadDate":"10-28-2020","publication":"10-28-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/10/201028_gma_digital_rhysyarbrough_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/10/201028_gma_digital_rhysyarbrough_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/tiktokker-brings-attention-rare-disease-viral-videos-73837623"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132628890","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:living:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"living","title":"Meet the TikTokker shedding light on rare disease","pubTime":"14:08","pubDate":"10-28-2020","modTime":"16:02","modDate":"10-28-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":73837623,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"Elisa Tang","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Meet the TikTokker shedding light on rare disease","mediaAssetTitle":"201026_Moore_Rhys","videoId":73837623,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/living/story/tiktokker-brings-attention-rare-disease-viral-videos-73837623"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/73837623","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/73837623","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};