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Yingjie Wang

A brave five-year-old girl nicknamed Lele from central China has come to represent defiance in the face of a physical disability that left her without a nasal bridge.
In one video shared by her mother, surnamed Zhang, the little girl from Henan province was playing outside alone. When her mother asked her why, Lele responded: “No child wants to play with me because I look different from them.”
But rather than feeling sorry for herself, Lele told her mother: “Do not feel bad, mum. Let people say whatever they want.”
Zhang said: “Lele being sensitive to my feelings makes me feel even worse for her.”

Zhang told Henan Television that the girl’s nose stopped growing when she was about two years old. Besides, Lele also has a jaw disorder, which makes her face hard to the touch.
The disability means her nasal cavity is obstructed by bones because the nose would normally be lifted away from the skull by the bridge, which means she can only breathe with her mouth.
Zhang said her face would often turn red because of breathing difficulties.
“She appeared normal when she was born, and we only discovered she had no bones in her nose when she was two years old,” Zhang said. “As a result, her face is misshapen.”
Jin Sanding, Lele’s doctor, suspected that genetic anomalies caused the girl’s condition after examining her cheeks and nasal area.
“This is a disability caused by a genetic abnormality,” Jin explained. “The condition will worsen as the child grows.”
According to Jin, surgical treatment usually needs to wait until after the age of 16, and Lele will probably need to undergo multiple treatments and cosmetic surgeries performed in phases.

The heartwarming story of the girl went viral on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, on August 10 and received more than 290 million views.
People on mainland social media were inspired by the girl’s bravery, with many calling her a “little angel”.
“Breathing through your mouth is incredibly uncomfortable when you consider how unbearable it is to have nasal congestion for even a day or two due to a cold,” one person commented. “How can the little girl do it for years?”
Another said: “Baby, modern medical technology can totally solve this problem, and I hope it does not impact the rest of your life.”


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The girl can only breathe through her mouth and she often turns red when she struggles to find her breath
The disorder can probably be fixed through plastic surgery, but she’ll need to wait until she is 16 years old


A little girl in China inspired millions for her sunny outlook despite a physical disability that left her without a nasal bridge.


China society

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Children in China

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