Meet Khadija , The Girl Born Without A Face | Photos

Khadija Khatoon Khadija, 21, from Kolkata, West Bengal,
Eastern India, was born without a face and her mouth is a
small slit on the left side of her face. When she was born,
concerned doctors were baffled by her condition for months.
Although it has never been confirmed, they believe she has a
form of neurofibromatosis, a rare deformity that causes
tumours to grow along nerves. Medics told Khadija and her
family there was nothing they could do after extra skin
continued to grow out of control.
“She was born at home but she didn’t open her eyes. She
was born with thick heavy eyelids and she looked different
to my other children at birth but we didn’t think anything of
it until we realised she couldn’t open her eyes properly.”
hermother Amina Bibi,50, said.
“When we took her to the hospital she was admitted for
six months and they did lots of tests but doctors eventually
told us there was nothing they could do. Because the
doctors told us there was nothing they could do we never
went back to them. And as Khadija got older she refused
any help. Doctors told us when she was a baby that if she
attempted surgery she could die, so we have lived with that
fear. Now that Khadija is much older she has decided
herself that she doesn’t want to have surgery. She doesn’t
want to risk dying.”
Khadija said:
“I’m made this way and I accept it graciously. I do what I
can. If this is how I’m meant to be then I live with it. It’s not
a matter of coping, I just live as I am”
She continued: “I don’t have any real friends but I have my
family. My family is my only friend and I love them dearly.
My parents are my world. I don’t talk to strangers. This is
who I am and this is the life I live and I fill my days sitting
and thinking, talking to my mother about life and going for
walks near my home. I like drinking tea. I am happy in this
life”
“If only the government would see my position and help
me, I would like that”
Dr Anirban Deep Banerjee, a neurosurgeon from Apollo
Hospital, Kolkata, said:
“I believe she is suffering from Neurofibromatosis but to
confirm we would need to do a gene test. There’s a
possibility she has a tumour inside her face which could be
fatal. Right now there is no way of knowing if she has
tumour inside the extra skin and if left they could kill her.”
“If she’s willing we would need to do a lot of tests to
determine how successful surgery would be.”
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