Teen with rare medical condition gets a new face after relentless bullying

Before and after  Xiao Feng's surgery.
Before and after Xiao Feng's surgery. Photo credit: Shenyang Sunline Plastic Surgery Hospital/Twitter

A 15-year-old with a rare medical condition that makes her look decades older has a new face after undergoing plastic surgery. 

The teenager from China, Xiao Feng, had quit school earlier this year because of the constant bullying received from classmates for her loose and saggy skin.  

The condition causes premature aging and is caused by progeria - a genetic syndrome affecting one in eight million babies, reports the Daily Mail. 

However, nearly $40,000 worth of donations, made by kind samaritans, meant a life-changing surgery to look her age became possible.  

The operation took place at Sheyang Sunline Plastic Surgery Hospital last month. It lasted seven-and-a-half hours and was attended by 10 surgeons, three anesthetists, and five nurses, the hospital said.  

The results were revealed to the public on Tuesday at a press conference in Shenyang.

Both Feng and her family could not contain their tears of happiness. 

Xiao Feng and family.
Xiao Feng and family. Photo credit: Shenyang Sunline Plastic Surgery Hospital

"Today is the happiest day for my daughter," Xiao Feng's father, Wang Hongde, told the Daily Mail.

Before the surgery, Feng said she had never taken a photo of herself. 

Head of the hospital, Dr Shi Lingzhi, later revealed the surgeons had to first remove an extra 7cm of skin before reshaping her nose, eyebrows and mouth. 

Xiao Feng's mother is believed to have the same condition.