Help kids with facial differences become leaders

Katie and Hayley have a lot in common, they are both young ladies with microtia. They both are members of AboutFace and have attended our Camp Trailblazers programs and both have always been very self-conscious of their ears. I recently came across both of these posts on their personal Facebook pages (obviously I got permission to share this with you) within a week of each other. Hayley had just done a presentation to a group of 120+ on behalf of AboutFace at a fundraising golf tournament and Katie had just come home from a week at Camp Trailblazers. I’d also like to add that Katie took that first picture ever of her showing her ears while at Camp Trailblazers.  

Through their years of involvement with AboutFace both of these young women have developed their confidence and self esteem and are proudly ready to take on the world! Here’s what the girls had to say…

"I have Treacher Collins Syndrome, I have a cleft palate, and I have microtia- which basically means my ears didn't fully develop. I used to hate my ears, I used to be so upset because I wanted to get them pierced like all the other girls. I used to long for ears that I could actually listen to music normally with. I constantly feel like covering my face with my hair, and until now, I've never had a photo of myself with my ears totally exposed, let alone my hair just being in a ponytail. I'm tired of feeling ashamed of my ears, just because they look different. As much as some days they make me want to crawl into a hole, they've also made me stronger. I want to celebrate that, I want to celebrate the fact that I'm unique, I want to celebrate the fact that I've made so many beautiful friendships and that I have a whole family because of my syndrome.
So I'm done. I'm done with people telling me I'm not good enough just because of the way I look. I'm done with strangers on the street pointing and staring. I'm done with the name calling and the negativity. I'm done with feeling like it's my fault I was born the way I was, but because of all the love and support I'm so blessed to have, I now know it isn't.
Really, this post isn't for me at all, 
this is for my beautiful friends from AboutFace, who continually give me the love and support that I could not live without. They are the most hilarious, wise, generous, kind-hearted, and intelligent people you will ever have the honour to meet. But they are also the people who go through so much crap that no one should ever have to go through just because they're different. And I'm sooo very done with that. Let's make different a good thing. Heck, let's make it a great thing. 
Let's celebrate it." – Katie

"I've been waiting a little while to be officially open with this. Throughout August, I was in and out of Sunnybrook Hospital for a very important procedure. I was actually having prosthetic ears made, and these are the final product. There were two options for myself with this procedure. I could either have a surgical procedure for the prosthetics, or I could have these, which stick on with a specific type of glue. The reason I didn't get the surgical procedure is because I feel that permanently ridding a part of my body just because I don't particularly like it will not help me in my journey of self-acceptance. Words cannot describe how excited and thankful I am for my new prosthetic ears " – Hayley

Links:

• AboutFace Website

After I was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, my parents became walking encyclopaedias of medical information. Yet, they had no idea what having a facial difference would mean for me as a child, or for them as parents. Through AboutFace, they found reassurance that despite the challenges that lay ahead – with love and dedication, we could navigate a world that often forgets that each person is worth so much more than their appearance alone.

AboutFace taught me that I was not alone in having a facial difference, and that I shouldn’t be ashamed. I learned how to advocate for myself, how to teach others about facial differences, and how to express what mine means to me. Eager to give back, I have been an avid AboutFace volunteer for the past 14 years. I’m always happy to speak publically on medical or family panels, and to discuss my experiences with Treacher Collins with kids and teens with TCS, and their parents. I know that each moment that I spend helping AboutFace to reach their goals, I am making a difference in our community and our nation.

Thus, when I was invited to become a camp counselor during a gap year between degrees, I was excited. I was also nervous, however, as I hadn’t attended the camp as a teenager. I simply did not know what to expect – I wasn’t sure what role I needed to fill for the campers, or how to ensure that they got the best camp experience possible. What was certain, though, was that I wanted to show campers that a facial difference should never hold them back from reaching their fullest potential!

In my time as counselor, I realized that many individuals have unique facial differences, and that all of us have a story to tell. Our campers continually demonstrate remarkable strengths of character and aptitude. I learned a little about food, electrical engineering, camp flora, and even some new jokes. But I also learned that campers have concerns about bullying, relationships, and even their careers. Together, we share our experiences and help each other grow. Like me, campers get to realize that they aren’t alone. We do this all while forging new friendships and helping to prepare ourselves to face our daily challenges.

It is this sense of community that makes Camp Trailblazers so wonderful. As children and adults with facial differences, we have to mature more quickly as a result of our day-to-day experiences. Camp Trailblazers is a place for campers to be who they really are, be their own age, and remember that they are all young people with heart, passion, hopes and dreams. Trailblazers leave camp knowing that they are unique individuals living with a facial difference – not defined exclusively by their face. That gives me hope that one day, each camper will reach their true potential – something I’m proud to help them achieve.

Kariym has been a dedicated AboutFace volunteer for many years. He has spoken at various conferences, played piano for several AboutFace events, and of course has been a wonderful Camp Trailblazers counselor. We are so proud to have him in our AboutFace family! Thank you Kariym for all that you do!

Links:

• AboutFace Website
• Trailblazers Video!
• Camp Trailblazers