As Cody Hall walked down the aisle last week in a stunning white gown with an even whiter smile, it was easy to forget her turbulent history. Hall, from Northampton, England, was born with a severe facial deformity which blighted her early life.
Despite having undergone multiple surgeries to erase the enormous birthmark, Hall spent years being haunted by her memories of the difficult days where she was teased and ridiculed by children at school and strangers in the street. 
Hall’s colossal birthmark warped her delicate face as it stretched across her skin, prompting her to become the subject of many curious stares from strangers, who could not fathom why her face looked the way it did. Her family was told that there was nothing that doctors could do to remove the birthmark until she was six-years-old. Determined to take action sooner, they raised $304,000 to pay for an American surgeon to start removing the mass. 
In 1993, at the tender age of one, Hall underwent a staggering 18 surgeries at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York. However, there was still extensive work to be done. Over the next 14 years, she was subjected to another 18 surgeries, which included numerous nose reconstructions, facelifts, skin grafts, eye surgery and liposuction. 
But the large-scale surgeries that she endured were nothing in comparison to the cruel comments she’d received from strangers. “When I started at secondary school, I did get a lot of people asking questions,” the 25-year-old said. “In the street, there would be people staring.” 
“All the attention would sometimes get me upset, and I would come home and say I didn’t like it,” she added. “But over the years people have realized I am who I am. I get people coming up to me in the street and saying ‘well done’ and that they are pleased for me.”
Hall, who works on the surgical ward at Kettering Hospital, met her husband, 27-year-old Lewis Holt, eight years ago. The couple became engaged last year and tied the knot last Friday in a beautiful ceremony. “It was an emotional day and there were some tears, especially when I saw Lewis at the altar, but only tears of joy,” Hall said. “I just want to show people that there is a happy ending.”
Hall has stayed remarkably strong over the years, something which was recognized by her proud father who nominated her for a Young Achiever award when she was a teenager because of her “tremendous courage through the years”. Speaking to the Northampton Telegraph, he said, “We’ve always been proud of Cody. She’s been through so many obstacles and overcame them all. I think she’s gone that extra mile to prove she’s more than capable of leading a normal life. I’m really pleased she’s got a boyfriend as well.” Hall is pictured below with her Young Achiever award.
Hall hopes that her story will inspire others with facial deformities to stay strong because a happy ending is possible.
Birthmarks can appear anywhere on the body. For those who have them on their face, they can be a cause for embarrassment as ignorant strangers will often stare at them in the street. Some people, however, they embrace what Mother Nature has given them. This teenage fashion model is one of those people. She refuses to undergo surgery for the birthmark on her face because she appreciates what “God” gave her. Here she explains her decision: We hope that Hall’s story inspires others who have had similar obstacles to overcome.
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