Emily's Story

Emily was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, an uncommon genetic condition. She was born with a cleft palate, clefts around the eyes, the ears and the underlying facial bones. Her cheek bones were not developed and there was no support for her eyes. Her ears were deformed affecting her ability to hear. Her lower jaw bones were under developed and she struggled to gasp her first breaths of life. A few weeks after her birth, Dr. Pravin Patel saw her for the first time, and performed emergency surgery to help her to breathe.

Emily has undergone multiple reconstructive procedures. She wears bilateral hearing aids, a g-tube inserted through the abdomen that delivers nutrition directly to the stomach and a CPAP machine to help with severe apnea.She is an only child but counts her 9-year-old canine, Butterscotch, as her sibling and wouldn’t be where she is today without the extraordinary support of her parents. Emily is grateful to the team at University of Illinois Craniofacial Center who have always been a part of her care and treatment to help her to hear, breath, eat and smile. Emily believes it’s the challenges in life that can hold the greatest rewards.

Emily remarked, “I am very grateful for the care I’ve received from all my medical professionals at The Center who have helped to get me to where I am today. I’d also like to thank Face the Future Foundation whose support has made many of my treatments possible. And now with this scholarship award, my educational endeavors. They have been an integral part of my past and now are a part my future.