Personal Stories from people who live with Facial Paralysis

For more personal stories, people with facial paralysis or their family members (with approval) can join Courage to Smile on Facebook.  Courage to Smile Members have been making videos of their experiences and it is fantastic seeing and hearing them.

• Alexandra's Story of Facial Palsy caused by Cholesteatoma
  
  Alexandra's story of developing facial palsy which was caused by removal of a cholesteatoma, a type of cyst/tumor which grew in her ear.
• Brian's Story - Born with half a smile
  
  Brian's story about growing up with half a smile due to having facial paralysis from birth.
• Charlie's Story - facial paralysis didn't stop him being class president
  
  Charlie's story of growing up with facial paralysis, how it hasn't stopped him achieving his dreams and how good friendships make all the difference.
• Eniko's Story - Palpebral Spring Implant
  
  Eniko had the palpebral spring surgery in 2011 and shares how she got on with the surgery with before and after pictures.
• Heidi's Story | Bell's Palsy and how it affected this talented singer
  
  Bell's Palsy threatened Heidi's singing career and she had to re-learn how to sing and show expression, vital to an opera singer.
• Jaclyn's Story - born with CULLP - congenital unilateral lower lip palsy
  
  Jaclyn was born with congenital unilateral lower lip palsy which is often abbreviated to CULLP. Jaclyn is a wonderful singer with a fabulous personality, we hope you enjoy her story.
• Jodi's Story | Removal of rare brainstem tumor & facial paralysis
  
  Links to Jodi's website and her video of how far she has come after life-saving brain surgery to remove a rare brainstem tumor.
• Karen's Story | Facial palsy birth trauma | Gold weight eyelid surgery
  
  Karen's story about growing up with facial palsy, eye closure problems, gold weight eyelid surgery, and meeting others with facial palsy.
• Katie's story about having facial paralysis since birth
  
  Eleven year old Katie's story about how she feels about having facial palsy and her hopes for the future.
• Katy's Story | Facial Nerve Damage from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome | Bells Palsy
  
  Katy found her life changed dramatically after contracting Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and having to struggle with long term Bell's Palsy.
• Laura's story about living with Bell's Palsy
  
  Laura's personal and very moving story about suddenly having to cope with Bell's Palsy as a young adult.
• Lisa's Story about getting facial palsy after a forceps delivery
  
  I was born in 1962 and have facial paralysis as a result of forceps delivery which damaged my facial nerve.
• Louise's Story - Parent of a child born with facial palsy | facial paralysis at birth
  
  Louise's story about what it is like to be the parent of a baby born with facial paralysis.
• Nick's Journey - Acoustic Neuroma, Facial Palsy & the Labbe Technique
  
  Nick had surgery to remove an acoustic neuroma which resulted in facial paralysis, this is his story about having the Labbe technique.
• Sarah and Ellen's Story | Missing cranial nerve and surgery
  
  Sarah's story about her daughter Ellen who had a missing cranial nerve at birth and has gone on to have two stage smile surgery.
• Stacey's story about being born with Facial Palsy
  
  Stacey's very uplifting story about what it is like to be born with facial palsy and how it doesn't need to hold you back in life.