Kate beams as she recalls the incredible journey she has been on. Kate has endured 13 operations over her lifetime, many of which have involved treating multiple issues at once. Until the age of 22 Kate would meet annually with specialists and have appointments that would often take two days to complete. 

“I can still remember how busy the waiting room was, with every second or third chair seating a child, teenager or adult with a disfigured face. Then there were the babies sporting oxygen tubes taped to their nose, or paddle pop stick splints strapped to their arms so they couldn’t touch their sore little faces.”

When Kate talks about her journey, there are both physical and emotional scars. It wasn’t until she was 16 that she was able to talk about the way she looked, but now she shares how different her life is because of the treatment and care she received.

“They have given me a great gift, the gift of social acceptance. They not only change faces, they transform lives.”

Photograph courtesy of The Dance Pad

Kate is open, kind, resilient and an inspiration to others. When talking to her you can easily forget the long journey she has been on. Nothing has stopped Kate from living and achieving her dreams, having completed a university degree, volunteering in a HIV orphanage in Cambodia, to discovering as an adult her passion for Latin dance. Her interest led her to live in Cuba for 6 months, immersing herself in the culture of music and dance.   

“To be honest, I feel as though every day I am on Cloud Nine, that life is exciting and thoroughly enjoyable.”