christina mitchell - Winter 2009

I was born on April 14, 1984, with a bilateral facial cleft involving my palate and upper lip. The cleft extended mid-face, affecting my eyes and nose, which caused my eyes to be disfigured. This condition left me totally blind.

I lost track of how many surgeries I've had, but I'll just say I've had enough of them to keep me going.

From what my dad has told me, I had my left eye removed due to an infection. I wear a full prosthetic left eye and a shell eye as my right. My eyes were abnormally small, and the doctors had to reconstruct them so that it looks like I have normal eyes. To this day I still have to take care of my eyes. I suffer eye infections now and then, for which I take daily medication.

I had water on my brain; I have a scar where doctors placed a shunt.

Doctors had to build my nose because it was too small and misshapen.

All in all, I really was a miracle child and a survivor. Doctors suggested to my parents that I be given up for adoption because of all the medical issues. They thought my parents wouldn't be able to take care of me along with my four siblings. They even said I’d die if I didn't have the necessary operations.

My mom threw a fit and refused to give me away. She felt like if she had me that she should keep me. She didn't care how many surgeries I would undergo. What mattered to her was that I was alive and crying like any other baby.

So I stayed in the hospital for about a month or two and underwent all the major operations needed to help me survive. The doctors tried to fix my eyes, but there was already too much damage for me to ever see.

I never let my blindness stand in my way. My favorite things are reading Braille books, listening to music, meeting friends on the Internet, watching medical programs on TV and chatting on the phone.

My advice to anyone out there facing a craniofacial challenge is to keep your head held high and never give up.

If you would like to share your story with CCA, please send an email to Annie Reeves at areeves@ccakids.com. If your story is chosen, with your permission, we will edit and publish it in the CCA newsletter, on the Web site or use it for public awareness programs. Not all stories will be selected.

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