AN AMERICAN 15-YEAR-OLD who was bullied for having a big nose has received a free nose job from a New York charity which claims to ‘empower children’.
Renata, who has not provided her full name, had had such difficulty in school that she had stopped going entirely and was being taught at home by her parents. She got to the point where she rarely left the house, and told NBC,
I tried convincing myself that I am fine the way I am, but I just don’t believe it anymore.
She convinced her mother, Michelle, that a nose job was the only way forward, but Michelle couldn’t afford it. That’s when they read about the Little Baby Face Foundation, a non-profit organisation which provides free surgery for children they say have ‘facial birth defects’.
They contacted the organisation which ultimately provided both a nose job and a chin implant, to ‘balance her face’.
Speaking to NBC, Dr. Thomas Romo who runs the charity, said,
We can’t go after the bully, but we can try and empower the children.
Michelle likened the surgery to parents having their children’s teeth straightened with braces.
I don’t think it’s sending the wrong message – Renata still sees what she sees in the mirror and it has an effect on her self-esteem and confidence regardless of what anyone says.
