A lady who was born with an extremely unusual illness that prevents her from smiling is ecstatic after earning a modelling contract.
Tayla Clement, 24, of New Zealand, has Moebius syndrome, which prevents her from moving her eyes from left to right, raising her brows, or moving her top lip.
Tayla was born with a rare congenital disease caused by underdevelopment of the facial nerves that regulate parts of her eye movements and facial emotions.
Tayla has faced bullying and major mental health issues as a result of her disability, making it difficult for her to reach self-acceptance.
She is, however, now proud of herself and is about to start on an exciting new work opportunity.
Tayla, who has 23,600 Instagram followers, has signed with an international modelling agency to emphasise the significance of being unique.
“I want to teach my younger self that we are enough – that we are enough simply the way we are,” she explained to 7Life.
“When I was growing up, I never saw somebody in the media who looked like me – different,” she remarked.
“I was always alone and felt like an outsider, unaccepted, not seen or heard.”
Tayla confesses that getting to this point has been a lengthy road.
“Growing up different, without being able to convey facial expressions, was incredibly hard,” she added.
“I can’t remember ever not being tormented in school.”
She claims that other students made fun of her looks, avoided her in the schoolyard, and called her insults like “ugly” and “disgusting.”
At the age of 11, she underwent an eight-hour invasive surgery that was meant to give her the capacity to smile.
Tissue was taken from her right thigh and placed from both corners of her mouth up to her temple.
She did, however, say she awoke “bruised and bloated” and “looked horrific,” admitting it “broke her.”
Tayla stated that instead of “resolving” her ailments, she spent the following 12 months recuperating from the surgery.
Worse, doctors were unable to effectively reactivate a new nerve connection in her face.
The bullying became violent at this point, with children kicking the back of her knees, forcing her legs to collapse.
