WARNING! PHOTO of the girl before the transformation is not suitable for sensitive people!
Darina Shpengler, 11, gained international attention after the story of her facial disfigurement went public. Little Russia was born without the lower part of her face and her mother Helena fainted when she first saw her in the incubator. Over the years, Darina faced ridicule and various comments. Although doctors never officially diagnosed her, her deformity is believed to be caused by the rare Nager syndrome.
- Darina Shpengler was born with the rare Nager syndrome.
- Darina underwent an expensive operation, thanks to which she could start talking.
- After the operation, her situation improved and she was able to start going to school.
The rare condition seriously affected little Darina, as she was unable to speak or eat on her own. Her parents had to completely change their lives to take care of her because she could do very little on her own. After the birth of her daughter, Helena quit her job, while her husband Yuri tried to provide medical care for Darina.
The mother fainted from shock when she saw her daughter’s appearance for the first time. “Everything suddenly went black and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I remember that Darina was crying in pain and blood was coming from her mouth,” she told the media in 2019, adding that doctors advised her to leave the child in an orphanage. “It is heartbreaking to see a disabled daughter crying and not being able to help her“, her mother revealed.
Parents are fighting for her to get better
Despite the challenges, Helena and Yuri refused to give up on Darina. They spent all their time looking for help, believing that somewhere in the world there was an expert who could help their daughter. “We don’t hide her from the world. She goes everywhere with us. Even my husband takes her with him everywhere. People told us to put a mask on her, but he told them not to look if they didn’t want to. We accept it as it is“, she noted.
Fortunately, when Darina’s story became public, many good-hearted people reached out to her. They even created a fundraiser for her groundbreaking surgery. Soon the family had enough money for Darina and her mom to travel to London and give the little girl the face she never had.
At the age of six, Darina underwent an operation that cost more than 65 thousand pounds. After returning to Russia, her father hugged her tightly and said: “You are beautiful. See, you have learned to smile.”
Since Darina’s birth, the family endured cruel insinuations not only from strangers, but also from relatives, who eventually cut off contact with them. Only one of Helena’s sisters remained their support. The girl was not even allowed to attend kindergarten because the other children were supposed to be afraid of her. Despite the difficulties, the girl’s life began to improve after the operation. In 2021, Darina started going to school. Until then, she was homeschooled due to social stigma.
Parents show their brave daughter’s progress on social networks. Proud Helena regularly shares her milestones on Instagram and is excited when Darina learns new words. Currently, the family is raising funds for another operation aimed at improving the function of the upper jaw and lip.
This article comes from the Ringier publishing partner website. The content and data contained in it were taken without editorial intervention.
