I've been absolutely amazed by this 17-year-old girl from Charlotte, North Carolina who was born with no eyes and no nose. But despite her physical differences, Cassidy Hooper is still a happy and independent teenager. In fact, she's a lot more cheerful than most kids her age. And these days she's even more excited because after multiple surgeries she's had since age 11, she's finally going to get a nose!
Keep reading to see the SHOCKING images of Cassidy before this miracle surgery!
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Cassidy has been waiting for doctors to create a nose for her face, but the process has involved multiple surgeries. Doctors already performed an operation to move her eyes closer together and started the foundation for her new nose. Skin was removed from sections of her forehead then pulled down and folded over. Now she's just missing the final surgery which will involve doctors taking a rib bone from her rib cage and attaching it to her forehead to create a bridge for her nose. "I am one step closer to getting a nose like everyone else!" she told WBTV excitedly.
How amazing is that? But what really impresses me about this girl is her spirit. She's been living without a nose her entire life and still hasn't allowed that to limit her in any way. Cassidy attends Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh where she's had the opportunity to learn Spanish, keep up with technology, and even engage in sports. Oh and did I mention she got her very first job too? Yup, working at the Library for the Blind at Raleigh as an office assistant. This kid is a true inspiration.
As for the surgery, Cassidy has been nothing but a trooper. She claims that the bandages that were wrapped around her forehead were a little painful and the new skin nose kind of tender, but still doing great. "It's tough," her mother Susan told WBTV. "It's extremely expensive. But this is Cassidy's choice … But if she wants to get a nose, her father and I don't want to say, 'No you can't have one.' "
So what is it about this teenager that keep her constantly smiling? She lives her life based on her favorite theory from the movie Soul Surfer. "I don't need easy, I just need possible," she said. Wow! If everyone thought like her the world would definitely be a better place!
Images via WBTV and YouTube
