Lilli Sim was born with Craniofrontonasal dysplasia (CFND). It's a very rare disease that causes a range of problems relating to facial symmetry, breathing and balance.
In and out of hospital since early childhood, Lilli (19) from Australia had her first major surgery at just six months old. Then when she turned four, she had her eyes moved together and the bridge of her nose built up.
Her issues didn’t end there. Like many kids who look different, she had a hard time fitting in and making friends. In fact, she was bullied in primary school and her granddad used to visit her on her lunch-break so she’d have someone to sit with.
Fortunately, Lilli never let it stop enjoying life.
“I copped a lot of staring and I still do, but it doesn’t really phase me,” Lilli, pictured below with her brother, Harri, told Daily Mail Australia.
It helped that she was naturally social. In secondary school, she joined ballet and netball clubs, and since then she’d had a good group of friends around her.
Despite this positivity, Lilli always knew that looking more ‘ordinary’ would make her life easier.
In recent years, she has undergone several major reconstructive surgeries, including jaw surgery which gave her a proper bite.
In June, she had her latest operation, one which has given her nose “more of a bridge”, partly for aesthetic reasons, but also to aid her breathing.
After a few weeks of recovering in hospital, Lilli recently got to remove her bandages, revealing to the world a whole new face.
We think she looks absolutely fantastic, and the boost it has given to her confidence is giving her a whole new lease of life.
And she already has big plans. Having always had social workers helping her out, she has her sights set on going to university to become one herself.
What a girl! It's so inspiring to see such positivity in the face of hardship.
