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When Ellie Jones was 14 years old, she went to the orthodontist, like many of her peers, to get braces fitted. Unlike her peers, however, Jones was told that her crooked, uneven teeth weren’t just caused by her permanent teeth not growing in properly.
Jones’ jaw actually hadn’t grown since she was eight years old. Six years later, her jaw was still exactly the same size it was when she was a child.
Her orthodontist continued to fit her with braces, but also sent her to see a maxillofacial surgeon to repair her jaw over time.
Two years later, after Jones went to see the surgeon and receive an assessment, she underwent her first reconstructive surgery. This initial procedure, however, was “really painful” and left her unable to speak for quite some time.
The surgeons had to cut open her jaw and reconstruct it from the pieces. Jones was forced to live on a liquid diet for about a month.
Six months later, Jones was declared fully healed – and she couldn’t have been more pleased with the results. “I was so shy because of [my jaw],” she admitted. “I feel like a different person now. I have so much more confidence, I feel like the ugly duckling that’s finally become the swan.”
Jones’ new look is so different that she’s even decided to try out for a beauty pageant. “I wouldn't have considered doing this a couple of years ago,” she clarified. “I was shy before but once I'd been through so much to get where I am now I thought: “Why not, let's go for it?’”
Jones’ mother is also over the moon, “The surgery has not only changed the way Ellie looked, but also the way she portrays herself. Her confidence has grown and she's blossomed into a beautiful young lady.”
You can hear Jones talk about her own recovery here:
