Australian YouTuber opens up on child’s deformity and fight to break stigma of difference in society

A young mother has started a campaign to normalise the stigma around body deformities and differences after her daughter was born with a birth defect.

Keiara Moore uploaded a video to her ‘Aussie Mum Vlogger’ Youtube page on Monday to reveal her daughter Mila’s struggle with a cleft lip.

‘Mila was born with a unilateral cleft lip and she also has got a cleft of the gum notch, which basically means that from her nose to her kip on one side was completely open,’ Ms Moore says in the video. 

The pregnant mother-of-two from northern NSW is running a campaign through her clothing and jewellery business Love Ellis Rose to break the stigma around deformities in society.

She enlisted the help of Georgia Townsley and Ellie Louise Mckenzie, who have limb deficiency and unilateral cleft lip and palate respectively, to highlight women with differences in a photo shoot to inspire her daughter and others with deformities.

‘I never want to be pitied or told I can’t do something because I will always find a way,’ Ms Townsley said, who is missing her left hand.

‘I definitely think my younger self would have been more confident if I saw more people like me in mainstream media.’

Her sentiment was backed by Ms Mckenzie, who believed more education on differences is needed. 

‘We need to nomalise deformities and allow more people to showcase their beauty instead of hide, be ashamed or scared of it,’ she said. 

Ms Moore said she was incredibly proud of the women in the photo shoot showcasing their true selves.

‘They’re honestly showcasing their biggest insecurities to try and help break the stigma and raise awareness and I think that’s so amazing,’ Ms she said. 

Mila had surgery when she was three-months-old on her cleft lip and will have more in the future, including inserting a bone graft from her hip once she turns eight.

The four-year-old has constant issues with her nose including breathing difficulties, leaving Ms Moore conscious of showing Mila other women with differences as a source of motivation.

‘I want a future where Mila can grow up and she can feel accepted in society and she can see other people around being photographed, beautiful models on websites where they’ve got differences just like her,’ Ms Moore said.

A child is born with a cleft condition around the world every three minutes and Ms Moore’s business are donating to provide medical attention for disadvantaged children in need.

Love Ellis Rose works with Operation Smile to donate funds every 250 orders for a child to have a cleft lip or pallet repair. 

Ms Moore hopes her campaign will connect with other mothers to provide information on cleft lips after struggling with Mila’s condition in the early days of her diagnosis.

‘It’s definitely not the end of the journey for Mila. There’s definitely a lot to come for her growing up,’ she said.

‘Another big hurdle Mila will have is obviously being accepted into community and society and my goal is to try and raise as much awareness as I can and try to break down the stigma around deformities as much as I can.’