This is how Afanasiev’s enchanting fairy tale begins, featuring a princess who was unable to laugh for a long time – until an ordinary labourer managed to make her laugh. But if you think that such serious young ladies only exist in fairy tales, let me surprise you: there is a mental disorder known as Moebius syndrome.
Meet Tayla Clement, a 25-year-old woman from New Zealand. When she was born, doctors were shocked to discover that she was unable to smile. And no, it wasn’t because she wasn’t happy to come into this world.
It turned out that she was born with a very rare condition (affecting only 1% of the population worldwide) that results in underdevelopment of the facial nerves responsible for facial expressions and eye movements. It is essentially a type of paralysis. At the time, there were no doctors who could help her get rid of this condition and restore her facial mobility. Tayla had to learn to live with a serious expression on her face, while her parents came to terms with the fact that their daughter would never amuse them with her cheerful laughter.
Later, she would come home, lock herself in her room and cry for a long time. She avoided school for several weeks, fearing ridicule from her classmates. Before undergoing surgery, she told them that she would return as a normal child who could smile and laugh.
She eventually returned to school, studied diligently, and occasionally attempted to take her own life. Over the course of six years, she made six attempts, each of which ended with her life being saved. Gradually, she became more confident. The teasing stopped, and she even made a few friends. One day, a recruiter from a modelling agency came across her profile and offered Tayla a contract. Now she spends most of her time on photo shoots, travelling the world, and can hardly believe that all this is really happening.
