A nine-year-old girl born with one eye who refused to even leave the house after bullies called her ‘ugly’ has had her life transformed thanks to a state of the art bionic replacement.
Myah Hauxwell was born with severe microphthalmia, also known as small eye syndrome, a condition which causes the eye not to develop during pregnancy. The condition is rare, affecting approximately 30 babies in the UK each year.
She underwent more than 20 gruelling surgeries as she grew up, with various prosthetic eyes fitted to maintain the shape of the socket.
Mum Lauren, 36, said Myah would receive comments about her eye ‘daily’, with people calling her ‘ugly’ and one even threatening to kick her in the face and break her glasses.
But inspired by England’s Lionesses – including her heroes Jill Scott and Mary Earps – Myah beat the bullies by raising £15,000 to fly to the US for a new robotic eye.
The family, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, spent six days in LA where three were made by Dr John Stople – including a bionic prosthetic eye with a digital iris and dilating pupil.
She also got a ‘back-up eye’ and even a ‘fun eye’.
Lauren said the latter has several meanings behind it and revealed Myah now wants to do modelling and advocate for others with disabilities, ‘showing the world how it is OK to be different’.
She explained: ‘A love heart is in the centre, for her big heart towards people and the love she has”, said Lauren. It is rainbow in colour as there’s always a rainbow after the storm. And glow in the dark because she’s a super baby with special power.’
Following her crowdfunding efforts, Myah also got an extra special bonus gift – an England football shirt signed by Scott accompanied by a personal video message.
Lauren said she only found out her daughter had the illness the day she was born.
‘None of my scans during pregnancy showed that anything was wrong,’ she said.
‘Her one eye was sunken into her face and didn’t appear to be working properly. She is perfect, but I was worried about what the future held.’
Lauren went on: ‘She receives daily comments about her eye,” said Lauren.
‘Walking into a supermarket, people break their necks to look at Myah, and kids say, “Oh look she’s only got one eye”.
‘One child said, “I’m gonna kick you in your face and break your glasses”. People have just said to her, “You’re ugly”.’
Lauren said the feeling she got when she first learned of the new treatment was ‘indescribable and better than I ever imagined’.
‘All I was going off was hope, but this became a reality and started our lives again. I’m now forever grateful for everyone who supported us in getting there,’ she said.
‘I have got my baby girl back. She’s now enjoying life and just being a child. She has grown with so much confidence and has started a new school as I removed her from her old one due to bullying.
‘She’s now making new friends and has even been wearing her fun eye to show her new class.
‘She wants to leave the house, she has gone back to all of her hobbies which are singing, dance, football and drama.
‘She’s happy to go out and meet friends. She now wants to do modelling and show the world how it’s OK to be different.’
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