Emily 2 Day Of Operation 1 Emily 3 Aged 1

Emily's Story

Emily McDermott, Scar Free Ambassador, was born with a unilateral cleft lip.

Emily's Mum, Rachel McDermott is also an Ambassador and plays a crucial role on our Research Council, providing invaluable input from a patient’s perspective.

"I’m Emily and I was born with a unilateral cleft lip and a small cleft in my gum. When I was 3 months old I had my first operation to repair my lip and I also had reconstruction of part of my nose.

When I was 2, I had another operation to try and deal with the lumpy scar tissue in my lip. Luckily I was too young to remember any of that.

I know I’m different, but I’m me. Sometimes people ask me what happened to my lip and some adults have been really rude about the way I look. That doesn’t make me feel good, but I’m still practicing answering people’s questions and ignoring people who are mean.

I became a Scar Free Foundation Ambassador in 2019 because I have been hearing about the fantastic work they do for many years. This is because my mum has been an Ambassador since 2011.

This is me!"

RACHEL'S STORY


EMILY & RACHEL'S GALLERY

Behind every scar, there’s a story. Visit our ambassadors: