Theresa and Tony Hall are the perfect example of loving parents. And when they learned Theresa was pregnant with a baby, they were overjoyed. They prepared everything they could and got her nursery ready. And when the prenatal tests came back with good results, they were able to put their worries at rest. Because what parents don’t worry that something will be wrong with their little one. However, when the Halls’ daughter was born, it was obvious that the prenatal tests had been incomplete. She was not all right. And she would need special attention to lead a healthy life.
She was born with a birth defect. But the Halls did not allow the hemangioma that was growing under baby Cody’s left eye to change how much they loved her. The condition causes stem cells to transform into benign tumors. Her health was not at risk, but her face was transfigured. And the Halls knew that as she grew up, Cody would need to fend off bullies and their comments about the massive growth on the side of her face.
The family lived in Corby, England and showed Cody all the love they knew how. But they wanted to find a way to help her face. But in the meantime, they refused to keep her shelter. They brought her out and took her on walks and gave her exposure to the world.
“In England, our neighbor asked my wife if we put a bag over [Cody’s] head when we took her out,” Tony recalled for the Orlando Sentinel. “The hardest thing is the stares and comments from the ignorant people in this world who don’t understand what’s going on with her.”
Time passed, and Cody grew up. Her condition did not get better as they had hoped it might. Finally, the Halls saved up enough money to take a trip to Dr. David Apfelberg, a plastic surgeon in Atherton, California. Cody underwent many laser treatments. And after them, Dr. Apfelberg helped. The tumor was removed.
The Halls were overjoyed at the overnight transformation of their beloved daughter. But Cody wanted more. She yearned to blend in with any crowd. And to be ‘normal.’ So she sought out another plastic surgeon who would help. She located Dr. Milton Waner in New York. He helped remove scars from her face. But the process was tough.
“She had extensive tissue destruction,” Dr. Waner told Fox News. “We performed several procedures to restore her face back to normalcy.”
Over the course of fourteen years, Cody underwent 18 operations. The Halls were not ultra wealthy. It was the donations of strangers who made the difference. They started a fundraising campaign and gather $376,000 for medical expenses.
“She looks much, much better now,” Dr. Waner announced. “If you saw her walking on the street, you would never know she had had any problems.”
And now Cody has the life of her dreams.
“It was an emotional day, and there were some tears,” Cody explained to The Sun, “especially when I saw [my husband] at the altar, but only tears of joy.” She declared, “I just want to show people that there is a happy ending.”