ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF FACIAL DIFFERENCE
You know, those of us with Moebius Syndrome aren't the only ones out there with a facial difference.  There are others.  What follows is an interesting example of this--and see especially how the young lady affected with it has dealt with her life, along with the bullying she received when she was younger:
"It’s been a long road for Amanda Lizon. The 20-year-old Mississauga, Ont. university student has had 15 surgeries – some major, some minor – to repair the cleft lip and palate with which she was born.
This facial difference is not as rare as you might think. In Canada, approximately 500 to 700 babies are born each year with cleft lip or cleft palate. And at 3.74 per 1,000 live births, the prevalence of oral facial clefts recorded in the First Nations people of British Columbia is among the highest in the world.
According to AboutFace, an organization offering supportive services for people with facial differences (aboutface.ca), more than 10,000 babies with a facial difference are born each year in Canada and another 50,000 people annually are affected as a result of trauma or a health issue.
The organization, for which Amanda Lizon volunteers, is focusing on cleft lip and cleft palate during September, Facial Differences Awareness Month. The two conditions are two genetically distinct variations of oral facial clefts caused by abnormal facial development during gestation.
Living with facial differences is incredibly challenging. Lizon says that she was bullied “a bit” growing up, but very early on she decided that she would explain herself while educating others.
“In Grade 7, I chose as a presentation topic cleft lip and palate. I told them my story because I wanted the other kids to be comfortable asking questions,” Lizon says.
She repeated it in high school and says none of the other students had a clue as to what the condition was about. “Even though it’s the most common birth defect, a lot of people still don’t know what it is,” she says. “I wanted people to know what it was about instead of assuming I was in an accident. It wasn’t an accident. I was born this way.
“AboutFace helps everyone with a facial difference to love and accept yourself no matter what you look like,” Lizon says.
Cleft lip and palate is as old as mankind. Egypt’s King Tut supposedly had a cleft lip, so did Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong and actor Stacy Keach. A cleft lip may be just a small notch in the lip or a complete split in the lip that goes all the way to the nose. A cleft palate can be on one or both sides of the roof of the mouth.
In the decades since he began treating kids with cleft lips or palates, Winnipeg pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Lonny Ross, director of the Manitoba Centre for Craniofacial Differences, says advances have been tremendous. Prognosis for people born with these facial differences is “excellent,” but parents need to realize that several surgeries may be necessary. Cleft conditions can impact everything from feeding to speech, from ear infections to poorly aligned teeth.
Today, the team approach to treatment ensures the key players (from plastic surgeon to pediatric dentist to speech pathologist) involved in a patient’s care come together to review what’s what.
“It allows an interaction between professionals who usually practice within their own silo and allows us to provide a care plan for each person that also reduces the number of surgeries someone might need,” he explains. “We now look at the patient as a whole and see what the patient needs and may want from the team.”
Preparing parents
Cleft conditions are not always evident on a fetal ultrasound, but if they are seen it allows the family to prepare themselves. “I often see parents before the baby is born,” says Dr. Lonny Ross. “We can show them treatment plans and the progress that can be made. If you can show good things happening it gives them hope and a renewed energy rather than a cloud of uncertainty going into the birth of their child.”
Making faces
To further raise awareness about cleft lip and palate, British Columbia’s Logan Bristow (with mom Sonja) documented her journey from birth to adolescence. The resulting picture book, entitled Making Faces and available from aboutface.ca, clearly explains the challenges a child and his or her family have in learning to cope with the condition and the many surgeries to come. The book offers help and guidance for parents, and support for kids who may be facing similar challenges.
Cleft what?
A cleft lip is a split in the upper lip between the mouth and nose. A cleft palate is when the roof of a baby’s mouth has not joined completely, leaving a gap.
Embrace what’s special
Children born with cleft lips or palates will always face emotional and psychosocial challenges, says Dr. Lonny Ross. “But AboutFace provides people with the tools to be able to face the world with the attitude that ‘This is who I am and I am going to be the best that I can be.’”

“May you always be blessed with walls for the wind. A roof for the rain. A warm cup of tea by the fire. Laughter to cheer you. Those you love near you. And all that your heart might desire. ”---Irish Proverb