Chelsea Thomas was just 8 years old when she was diagnosed with Möbius syndrome, a condition that affects the facial muscles, usually by paralysis. This was something most people had never seen before. A sweet little girl who is physically unable to smile?
The initial news coverage of her rare condition in the 1990s provided her with a worldwide audience almost overnight. All around the world, Chelsea was known as "the little girl who couldn't smile."
She was in newspapers and on TV, and quickly became the topic of discussion at the watercooler. "I guess at the time, I just didn't understand," Chelsea explains about her childhood fame in the video below, posted on December 13, 2016.
All eyes were on her as she went in for a life-changing surgery. Thankfully, it was a success. Chelsea is able to smile, just like the surgeon had promised her. Unfortunately, the surgery wasn't able to fix every complication associated with Möbius syndrome.
"We can't move our eyes side to side. We can't pucker our lips," Chelsea says.
She also addresses her biggest fear related to her condition: "For a long time, I thought I was never going to find anyone." She felt her condition caused people to look down on her. Chelsea didn't have to worry about that for too long.
Once she turned 25, she met a man named Bradley, who thinks she is nothing less than beautiful. "She makes me smile, she makes me laugh," Bradley says.
"He's never treated me like I was different," Chelsea says of Bradley's kind nature. Being treated as an equal was all she ever wanted.
In the video, Chelsea and Bradley take their love to a whole new level, making it official in a gorgeous wedding ceremony. As she walks down the aisle, it's evident Chelsea has come a long way.
"I look at her now, getting married, and I see her using that smile so much more now," her mother gushes.
As she and Bradley begin their life together, Chelsea will still look back on her experience. This proud young woman is a prime example for little girls with her disorder, proving they are capable of anything. To see what she looks like now, check out the video below!
Finally, please SHARE this uplifting transformation if you think a disability should never hold anyone back!
