Sarah Atwell, 17, of Windsor, Canada, has a form of neurofibromatosis that has caused facial disfigurement since she was eight months old.
Her story is the focus of "Girl With Half A Face," a documentary debuting Dec. 18 on Discovery Fit & Health.
If you can't wait that long to find out about this inspiring girl, check out the pictures and facts about her below.
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Sarah Atwell: Girl With Half A Face
Discovery Fit & Health
Sarah Atwell, 17, suffers from neurofibromatosis, a rare disease that has caused a massive tumor to develop on half her face.
Sarah Atwell As A Toddler.
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Atwell, 17, was about eight months old when one side of her face began to appear larger than the other. That's when doctors discovered she had a genetic disorder that causes tumours in tissues that surround nerves throughout the body, according to the Nova Scotia Chronicle Herald.
Young Sarah At Age 5.
Discovery Fit & Health
Atwell's appearance once made a grocery store cashier refused to take her money.
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Sarah Atwell In Her Bedroom
Discovery Fit & Health
Atwell's appearance has made her the subject of intense bullying from the time she was 10. She confronted the attacks last year with a YouTube video that asked for compassion.
Sarah With Her Dog
Discovery Fit & Health
Atwell has undergone at least three reconstructive surgeries since November 2010 and plans to continue with plastic surgery until the tumor is gone, according to HantsJournal.ca
Sarah Atwell At Age 8
Discovery Fit & Health
Atwell's life story, including potentially life-saving surgery is featured on "Girl With Half A Face," a documentary debuting Dec. 18 on Discovery Fit & Health.
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Sarah In High School
Discovery Fit & Health
Atwell has tried to keep positive despite her situation by busying herself with writing poems, volunteering as a teacher's aide at a local elementary school in her hometown of Windsor, Canada.
Sarah After Surgery
Discovery Fit & Health
Along with the physical disfigurement, Atwell's disorder, officially called type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1), causes severe headaches and blurred vision.
Sarah With School Kids
Discovery Fit & Health
Atwell gets a lot of comfort working with smaller kids, because they see below the surface.
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Sarah Atwell And Tara MacAskill
Discovery Fit & Health
Neurofibromatosis runs in Atwell's family. Her mother, Tara MacAskill, has a different type than her daughter; a type that causes tumors to sprout up on different parts of her body.
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