This is a story about a miraculous young girl without lips who underwent a pioneering surgery that changed her life forever.

Young Darina Shpengler was born with half a face and that meant she couldn’t even smile. Let’s not forget the countless other challenges that came her way. From not being able to eat and drink properly to limited ability to speak too, her life was nothing less of a misery.

However, dreams and prayers do come true. And this story is absolute proof of that notion. Thanks to a team of expert doctors who performed surgery, she can finally smile. Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to share her inspiring story with so many others. So let’s take a look!

A young girl without lips- an inspiring tale

Meet 6-year-old Darina Shpengler from Russia. While young kids are beautiful in all shapes and sizes, Darina had a troublesome childhood. Born with only half a face, doctors were very skeptical about her growth. She was the girl without lips that many people knew about.

After all, having half a face meant she would face countless problems. And no, they weren’t solely referring to aesthetics only. Moreover, they were talking about how she would face great trouble eating, speaking, drinking, and of course smiling too.

As you can probably expect, it’s the worst nightmare that any parent would ever want to hear. Young Darina didn’t have any lips or even a chin. And that definitely made life super troublesome for obvious reasons.

Diagnosing the major problem 

At the start, many doctors and medical experts worked together to diagnose her condition. Initially, they thought it had to do with a condition many referred to as Nager Syndrome. But with time, doctors began changing their minds as she showed other signs and symptoms.

Soon, her genetic tests revealed the obvious. She suffered from a very unique condition. And it was all due to spontaneous mutations or problems in her genes. Hence, the only solution to move forward revolved around a pioneering surgery. For the family, this time period was absolutely daunting.

Her mother gave up her job, just so she could look after her young girl without lips. She wanted to make sure that she received all the care and help she needed. In the same way, her father also struggled left and right. He wanted to make sure his daughter got the best help in the world when it came to medical attention.

A pioneering surgery- a true miracle indeed

After young Darina’s story went viral with her getting the publicity she deserved, the family set up a fundraiser. And that was for the pioneering surgery that would make attempts at changing her life.

Unbelievingly, the family received great love and support from well-wishers who came across her story. They were super generous and kind-hearted. Some donated in astonishing figures, raising hope for the young girl’s miracle surgery. And it was all thanks to these donors.

Now, it was time for Russian experts to put their heads together, looking for more opportunities for her transformation. However, the challenges were plenty. Her weight was similar to that of a one-year-old. Think along the lines of 11.3kg.

Therefore, surgeons concluded how she would need to be operated on abroad. They recommend the famous Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London.

A beautiful young girl emerges

After multiple counseling sessions with doctors, it was finally surgery day. A gruesome 11-hour procedure resulted in bringing back the young girl’s smile. First, they created a jaw and then added skin to her neck too.

For the next few procedures, she went back to Russian. Here, expert surgeons gave her lips and created her upper jaw too. Darina learned how to laugh and smile her worries away. While the recovery period wasn’t easy, it was definitely worthwhile, in the end. And today, she is a beautiful young girl who can smile.

 

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