BIRTHDAY SMILE IS CHELSEY'S GIFT.Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer Saturday was a victory celebration for Chelsey Thomas: victory over a birth defect birth defect Genetic or trauma-induced abnormality present at birth. A more restrictive term than congenital disorder, it covers abnormalities that arise during the formation of an embryo's organs and tissues and does not include those caused by diseases (e.g. that prevented her from smiling, victory over the taunts she endured from schoolmates and victory over simple commands like, ``Say cheese.'' Thanks to 22 hours of plastic surgery in two operations, the Palmdale girl was able to smile at her eighth birthday party Saturday with family, friends and neighbors at Shadow Ranch Park in West Hills. ``We've waited a long time for this day,'' said Chelsey's mother, Lori. ``Today is the big smile party Chelsey had hoped for a year ago. This is a party where there's lots to smile about.'' Chelsey grinned, smirked and giggled as she played with classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Chelsey's quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the a grin began more than a year ago when she told her mother she wanted to smile. Born with a condition called Moebius syndrome, in which cranial nerves Cranial nerves The set of twelve nerves found on each side of the head and neck that control the sensory and muscle functions of a number of organs such as the eyes, nose, tongue face and throat. that transmit messages to facial muscles facial muscles, n See muscles, facial. are missing, Chelsey was unable to express any emotion on her face. The condition afflicts 500 to 1,000 Americans. In December, a team of surgeons at Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. Medical Center, Woodland Hills, removed muscle and nerve tissue nerve tissue n. A highly differentiated tissue composed of nerve cells, nerve fibers, dendrites, and neuroglia. from Chelsey's leg and transplanted it to the left side of her face. In April, doctors operated on the right side of her face and stretched the muscles in the corners of her mouth upward. Aside from a need for dental braces Dental braces (also known as orthodontic braces) are a device used in orthodontics to correct alignment of teeth and their position with regard to bite. Braces are often used to correct malocclusions such as underbites, overbites, cross bites and open bites, or crooked , Chelsey's operations are behind her. ``The operation worked,'' said Dr. Avron Daniller, chief of plastic surgery at Kaiser's Woodland Hills center. ``We don't expect to do any more surgeries as far as her smile goes. We're amazed that she's learned to use her muscles so fast. Those are two . . . different nerves driving her smile.'' Since she's learned to smile, Chelsey has become more outgoing, her family said. ``She's become a more confident little kid,'' said her father, Bob. ``She was a little self-conscious before. She always felt more comfortable around adults. Now she feels comfortable around kids.'' Her siblings and friends have noticed a difference, too. ``She's gotten a lot friendlier,'' said her 15-year-old brother, Brett. ``The day we finally saw her face move, we knew it was going to work out. Now she's just enjoying herself. Today we're just celebrating her smile.'' ``I'm happier that she can smile,'' said Felicia Wolford, 7, Chelsey's best friend. ``When she couldn't smile, it hurt her feelings.'' Now the two have formed the Smile Club. ``It's about smiling and having fun,'' Felicia said. ``It's just me and Chelsey and that's all.'' For Chelsey's family, the day signaled an end to an anxiety-filled wait that began outside a hospital operating room operating room n. Abbr. OR A room equipped for performing surgical operations. last year and didn't end until two weeks ago, when the little girl was finally able to twitch her facial muscles into a smile. ``It's been very stressful, from start to finish,'' her mother said. ``The hardest part was waiting for the results.'' For Chelsey, the day was a chance to be an ordinary child. ``It's my birthday. That's it,'' she said as she waited in line for the Acroflight, the bungee-trampoline ride. She took off the red sneakers sneakers Noun, pl US, Canad, Austral & NZ canvas shoes with rubber soles sneakers npl (US) → zapatos mpl de lona; zapatillas fpl she got for her birthday to jump barefoot on the trampoline trampoline Resilient sheet or web (often of nylon) supported by springs in a metal frame and used as a springboard and landing area in tumbling. Trampolining is an individual sport of acrobatic movements performed after rebounding into the air from the trampoline. . ``This is fun,'' she said, a grin spreading across her face as she vaulted into the air. ``You go really high.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1 -- color) Chelsey Thomas, center, wears her new smile Saturday, flanked by pals Jessica Lundy, left, and Ashstyn Borrowdale. (2) Wearing a smile made possible by two surgeries, Chelsey Thomas gets hopping on her birthday Saturday, when she turned 8. David Sprague/Daily News |
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