I never thought a tiny bump on my nose could change everything 😳. At first, I thought it was nothing, just a little spot, and I didn’t want to pay attention to it. But people started staring at me a lot 👀. Some even didn’t want to play with me. That made me feel really bad. Every time someone looked at me, I felt a little different from the others 💭.
I couldn’t breathe well when I ran or shouted 😔. When I wanted to play, I often just sat and watched others have fun. I felt scared and worried, thinking about what would happen if I did nothing ⚡.
Then the day came when the doctors said they could help me 🌈. I started to feel hope. I was scared 😨, but my mom was holding my hand, and that made me feel a little brave.
And then it happened… I felt that I could finally breathe freely 😲. When I looked in the mirror, at first I didn’t recognize myself. But now I could smile and play without fear 😃😃.
Hello, I am Emil, I am about 5 years old 🙂. I was a normal child, like the others — I loved to play, laugh, and play with toys… but one thing was always difficult for me. I am saying my name because I really want people to know what I went through and what I felt. I was born with a disease called maxillofacial extreme epidermoid cyst (please, the name is very long, but you can just call me Emil). It brought me a big painful problem 😢: on my face, right on my nose, there was a big and deformed tumor.
When I was little, people often stared at me 👀. Some children didn’t even want to play with me. That upset me a lot. I didn’t know what all those looks meant, but I felt a little different from others. When my dad or mom put me aside, I would think: “Why was I born like this… why don’t other children have something like me…” Through my eyes, the world was usually bright, but when the stares were on me, I felt like I was inside a little ice block, and my heart hurt.
Besides this, sometimes I had trouble breathing 😷. My nasal passages were blocked by my tumor, and when I wanted to run or shout loudly, I couldn’t do it without stopping to breathe. That made me more careful during games, often sitting and watching others rather than running and smiling.
People often told me that there was a solution soon 🌈, and I began to hold on to hope. When I first heard that I could have surgery, a big light turned on in my little head. But also fear was with me. Thoughts about surgery were terrifying for a small child. I thought: “What will they do to me… will they hurt me… will something happen to me?” My mom told me every day that the doctors were very experienced, and the surgery would help me breathe, talk, and smile without fear.
And that day came 📅. I remember being taken to a special room, where people in white coats were — doctors and nurses. They said I was very smart and brave, and everything would be fine. When I first felt the effect of general anesthesia in the hospital, I was a little scared, but my mom was holding my hand, and that comforted me.
When I “woke up” 😴, the first thing I felt was not pain, but… a terrifying but incredibly wonderful thing: I felt that I could breathe freely. I couldn’t believe that air was finally passing freely through my nose. When I looked in the mirror, at first I didn’t recognize myself. My face had changed. The tumor that had been there for years was now a small mark and pale smooth scar. It felt like my life was starting again.
The first days of recovery were difficult 😓. At first, there was pain, gradually getting better each day. I learned that I had to be careful not to hurt the new part of my face, and I learned to drink only good water and eat soft food. But every time I looked in the mirror, I felt proud. I overcame a big challenge, I went through surgery, and my life changed for the better.
Now I can play without fear 🎉. My breathing is regulated, I can smile and hear my laughter without thinking about what others think about my face. People now see me the way I see myself — a little but brave and happy boy, who went through a very difficult path, but never gave up.
Many people tell me that I am very brave 🦁, and I am beginning to understand that in the hardest moments, when fear was strong, and children didn’t want to play with me, I was really strong. Now I am learning to tell my story, to tell that illness and difficulties can be overcome if you keep hope and faith.
I am still small 👶, but I already know one thing: my facial scar, my new nose shape, my smile — all are signs that I am brave, that I went through difficulties and came out stronger and happier. Now when I look in the mirror, I smile, because I know that there are many things in this world that I can overcome if I believe in myself and my strength.
I am Emil 🙂, and this is my story: a little boy’s story, who went through a long and difficult path, who had surgery and found free breath, a smile, and love for his new life ❤️. Now I am happy, I play with friends, I am not afraid of stares, because I know that my value is not limited only to appearance. I am strong, happy, and ready for everything that life’s path will present to me.🙂
