An Iowa teenager is turning to surgery, hoping an expensive procedure will give her a new smile. Since she was a little girl, Liberty Williams’ mouth curved a bit different than those around her. Now after years of bullying, she said she doesn't feel free to smile wide. "Do I have a crooked smile?" At 4 years old, Liberty asked her mom that question.Dusty Williams said her daughter's preschool teacher had brought it up to her.It broke her heart, so they tried to find a fix."There was nothing, we had no diagnosis at all,” Dusty Williams said.So for 15 years, Liberty lived with one side of her mouth being different. And bullies have always noticed."It was hard because I know I’m different from other people and people would just see me differently than I do, so I just want to be seen as normal and have a normal mouth but it’s hard when people keep saying things,” Liberty said.This past year the bullying took a big turn.Liberty got an anonymous text message calling her names and saying, "You have no point in life and nobody wants you here. I don’t know how you get friends with that messed up mouth.""It didn’t have a phone number or anything, I didn’t know what to do. I went straight to my mom,” Liberty said."She was just sobbing in a ball on her bed, just sobbing and I was angry,” Dusty Williams said.After calls to the police, the school, the phone provider and the county attorney with no answers, the Williams family felt at a loss.But, that reignited their search for a doctor who could help.A surgeon in Omaha, Nebraska, tried, but once Liberty was under anesthesia, Williams said the doctor came out with bad news."This surgery was unsuccessful. We went in, we cut her open we dug around and there’s actually no nerves or muscles in the entire side of her face,” Dusty Williams said.He was able to place gold in her eye, which allowed her to finally close her eyes completely.That doctor referred them all the way to a surgeon in Beverly Hills. They believe he can do a facial reanimation."They can’t fix anything internally but on the outside, they can make her smile a little more symmetrical and change some of the things about her that she's uncomfortable with,” Dusty Williams said.A GoFundMe will pay for the expensive surgery.A friend is offering photoshoots, with the proceeds going to the Williams family.Money is also being raised by the sale of anti-bullying T-shirts in Liberty’s name.“That’s what’s more important is that they stop treating her that way to me than fixing who she is, like that’s who she is,” Dusty Williams said.In the end, it’s Liberty's choice. "I think if I got the surgery I’d be happier with my smile but I feel like other people are winning if I do. So, I don’t know what to do,” Liberty said.
An Iowa teenager is turning to surgery, hoping an expensive procedure will give her a new smile.
Since she was a little girl, Liberty Williams’ mouth curved a bit different than those around her. Now after years of bullying, she said she doesn't feel free to smile wide.
"Do I have a crooked smile?"
At 4 years old, Liberty asked her mom that question.
Dusty Williams said her daughter's preschool teacher had brought it up to her.
It broke her heart, so they tried to find a fix.
"There was nothing, we had no diagnosis at all,” Dusty Williams said.
So for 15 years, Liberty lived with one side of her mouth being different. And bullies have always noticed.
"It was hard because I know I’m different from other people and people would just see me differently than I do, so I just want to be seen as normal and have a normal mouth but it’s hard when people keep saying things,” Liberty said.
This past year the bullying took a big turn.
Liberty got an anonymous text message calling her names and saying, "You have no point in life and nobody wants you here. I don’t know how you get friends with that messed up mouth."
"It didn’t have a phone number or anything, I didn’t know what to do. I went straight to my mom,” Liberty said.
"She was just sobbing in a ball on her bed, just sobbing and I was angry,” Dusty Williams said.
After calls to the police, the school, the phone provider and the county attorney with no answers, the Williams family felt at a loss.
But, that reignited their search for a doctor who could help.
A surgeon in Omaha, Nebraska, tried, but once Liberty was under anesthesia, Williams said the doctor came out with bad news.
"This surgery was unsuccessful. We went in, we cut her open we dug around and there’s actually no nerves or muscles in the entire side of her face,” Dusty Williams said.
He was able to place gold in her eye, which allowed her to finally close her eyes completely.
That doctor referred them all the way to a surgeon in Beverly Hills. They believe he can do a facial reanimation.
"They can’t fix anything internally but on the outside, they can make her smile a little more symmetrical and change some of the things about her that she's uncomfortable with,” Dusty Williams said.
A GoFundMe will pay for the expensive surgery.
A friend is offering photoshoots, with the proceeds going to the Williams family.
Money is also being raised by the sale of anti-bullying T-shirts in Liberty’s name.
“That’s what’s more important is that they stop treating her that way to me than fixing who she is, like that’s who she is,” Dusty Williams said.
In the end, it’s Liberty's choice.
"I think if I got the surgery I’d be happier with my smile but I feel like other people are winning if I do. So, I don’t know what to do,” Liberty said.
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