A TAUNTON teenager has become one of the faces of a campaign aiming to change people’s perception of facial disfigurements.

Caitlin Gaylard, a 14-year-old pupil at Heathfield School, joined the Changing Faces Campaign after her support group Facial Palsy UK was approached.

Caitlin joins a series of other people that might look different, but just want to be treated like normal people.

Her mum, Kim, says Caitlin’s tumour developed when she was a baby, and when it was removed, the “smiling nerve” was cut, leaving Caitlin paralysed through half of her face and she has been unable to smile ever since.

Caitlin has experienced bullying throughout her life, from school kids leaving her out because she looked different, from people online telling her not to post photos of her face.

Mrs Gaylard said: “Caitlin was really keen to get involved when the group approached her.

“When she was younger, she had no one to turn to when she needed to talk. Now, this has linked her to other people.

“No one really understands what they go through unless they have been through it themselves.

“It is her smile - it isn’t something she can hide away.”

The family feel that raising awareness in the media and in schools is vital for making life better for people with facial disfigurements. Mrs Gaylard has praised Heathfield School for encouraging awareness and understanding about why Caitlin looks the way she does.

Mrs Gaylard added: “People might not always understand that if Caitlin isn’t smiling at them, it isn’t because she is being rude, it is because she can’t. “She is a teenager and just wants to live a normal teenage life.”

Karen Johnson, deputy CEO of Facial Palsy UK, said: “Many children with facial palsy experience similar to what Caitlin has described. The bullying is often due to ignorance because people are not used to seeing facial disfigurement. We need to deal with the root of the problem and educate children and adults, as Changing Faces are trying to do in schools.

“We don’t see people with facial difference on mainstream television or in magazines, only in horror movies, which perpetuates negative stereotypes. The sad reality is that we often hear of schools turning down the help available from Changing Faces when it could really change a child’s life, so I fully support that this should be rolled out across all schools.”

For more information on the Changing Faces campaign, visit www.changingfaces.org.uk.