Rokaya Mohamed was born with two almost-fully-formed mouths, a variation of a facial cleft that doctors said she would not survive. But last week, the 15-month-old Egyptian girl received surgery -- perhaps the first of its kind -- at a Los Angeles hospital, and she's on track for recovery, according to news reports.
Rokaya's parents flew her to the United States from Egypt for the surgery with help from various charities, including "Operation Smile," ABC News reports. Medical resources for the operation were not available in Cairo.
The girl was released from the Intensive Care Unit on Monday and is doing well, according to ABC News. Doctors say she will need additional surgeries as she grows.
Rokaya's father, Tamer Mohamed, said people would often stare at his daughter's condition, and he sometimes covers her face to avoid them, KABC explains. He also admits that he and his wife were somewhat shocked when they saw her condition for the first time.
"The X-rays, the ultrasound didn't show us how her face is going to be," Mohamed told the station.
The operation was performed by Dr. William Magee III in Los Angeles. The doctor's father founded "Operation Smile" about 30 years ago. The charity helps families pay for surgeries for cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities, the official website explains.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are both caused when the skull or facial area of a fetus doesn't fully develop, Thomas Connelly, a cosmetic dentist, explained in a blog post.
For more on Rokaya's story, watch the full report by ABC above.