Xiao Feng (not her real name), the daughter of Chinese farmers, was born with a rare genetic condition, and her face began to expand rapidly at the age of one. The aging process continued, and at the age of 15, the schoolgirl looked a grandma due to drooping skin and wrinkles. According to the Daily Mail, the adolescent liked to put on makeup while she was alone, but she never dared to snap a single selfie.
Peer friendship was likewise a pipe fantasy. “No one wants to play with me, and only pigeons agree to be with me because they can’t treat me badly or think that I’m ugly,” she remarked. Strangers frequently mistook Xiao for the parent of one of the pupils when she was in elementary school. And, according to Father Feng, during trips to the city (the family lives in the countryside), the surrounding people freely discuss the child’s appearance.
Because others were unwilling to treat the girl nicely, the young Chinese woman opted not to continue her studies after graduating from middle school because she was terrified of meeting new classmates. The girl, however, was not about to give up and sought assistance from Guo Mingyi, deputy head of the big public group All-China Federation of Trade Unions and philanthropist.
“I am 15 years old, but I have the face of a 60-year-old woman. <…> Uncle Guo, how I want to return to normal life and not be forced to avoid people’s attention or feel like the whispers of my classmates are chasing me, ”the teenager’s letter added. And the benefactor did not let us down. Guo Mingyi first negotiated a 70% discount on Xiao’s procedure with Shenyang Sunline Plastic Procedure Hospital.
On December 7, the man traveled to the streets of Shenyang with Feng and her family to gather donations so that the girl’s destitute family could donate the remaining sum (150 thousand yuan, or 1.3 million rubles). Guo Minnyi also organized a charity marathon, the earnings of which went entirely to the adolescent. Caring people raised more money than was required for the schoolgirl, totaling more than 190,000 yuan.
Progeria is a genetic condition that promotes accelerated aging of the body, according to experts. True, the adolescent was fortunate in that, unlike many other persons suffering from the same sickness, the disease only harmed her skin. On December 29, the Chinese woman underwent surgery. According to the hospital, ten surgeons, three anesthesiologists, and five nurses were present. Doctors removed the girl’s extra skin and reshaped her nose, mouth, and brows.
The clinic provided reporters images of themselves before and after the intervention, and they appear to be different persons. The girl first saw her face on January 20 at a clinic press conference, because doctors were not allowed to look at her in the mirror before that. And on X-day, the adolescent gazed at herself in a serious setting, with the audience and the stage, and burst into tears.
The parents felt the same way because they could only see their daughter after the operation at an official ceremony. “Today is the most joyous day of my daughter’s life.” “I slept soundly on the night Xiao Feng was operated on because I believed doctors would be able to cure my daughter and help her live and study happily,” stated the schoolgirl’s father.
The clinic ultimately opted not to charge the family for the procedure. Guides