She is known as the girl without a face. This genetic disorder is called Treacher Collins Syndrome and it causes deformations of the face. Juliana Wetmore was born with the disorder, however, hers is the worst case that has been documented.
The doctors had actually noticed irregularities four months before the birth. They couldnt pinpoint what was wrong, and no one was prepared for how Julia would look when she was born.
The babies face was far from normal looking. Yet the irony is that her body was totally healthy. It was just the face that had missing bones which led to deformations and difficulty breathing. Likely she would not survive the night doctors believed. Juliana fought to keep breathing and ended up staying alive.
It would be 5 days after birth where the parents, Tami and Thom Wetmore were finally able to hold their daughter. Despite the facial deformations, they immediately took to their little girl, developing a deep connection with their child. But doctors realized Julia is nearly deaf, due to the missing of important bones. But her brain functioned normally and she had sight out of her right eye.
It would be 6 years of operations as she continued to fight on. She learned sign language, and went to a school for deaf children, where she excelled. Her family though, is unable to understand how she is really feeling inside. Until something happened
There was another girl named Danica. She was the same age as Juliana. She suffered the same disorder that Juliana has, albeit much milder. Despite that, she still had faced major hurdles and has had a very tough life. She lived in an orphanage, as she was given up for adoption after birth, in the Ukraine. She has no visitors and as soon as she is old enough to leave, she will be destined to be living on the streets, without any kind of family support system in place.
Enter the Wetmores. The family read about the girl online. They read about the desperate need she has to find adoptive parents. The Wetmores plan a visit to the Ukraine where they visit Danica. This one visit was all it took. The parents looked at one another and knew Lets do it. Lets get our daughter and fly home. They end up adopting Danica!
Juliana is now 12-years-old, and now has had 45 operations. But she also has a new sister thats been there and understands what shes going through. The family since has adopted even more children. They now have a group of 6 which have all formed a tribe where both Juliana and Danica are able to thrive in a protected environment. Danica has turned out to be a really good artist, while Juliana continues to amaze with her superior intellect.
The courage that this family has is pretty amazing. Despite the burdens and challenges, they all remain strong and brave.
Share this wonderful story of a family unit formed out of love, strength and a need to give kids who face huge hurdles, a second chance at living good lives.
Read more: http://damn.com/known-as-girl-without-a-face/
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