A teenager who was born without half her face has revealed her dream of reuniting with her father who had abandoned her at birth.
Yaroslava Oleinik, 17, from the city of Kostanay, northern Kazakhstan, suffered from congenital health issues which mean she was born with no nose or left eye.
According to the teenager, her father left the family after seeing her at a maternity hospital and she has not seen or heard from him since.
Three years ago, Yaroslava launched an Instagram page where she shares snaps and videos as she makes music, telling local media: ‘I dream of becoming a famous musician and make my father proud of me.’
Yaroslava Oleinik, 17, from the city of Kostanay, Kazakhstan, was born with no nose or left eye due to congenital health issues
According to the teenager, she was a wanted child and her parents, who knew nothing about her condition, were looking forward to her birth.
Speaking about her life with local media, Yaroslava said: ‘My mother accepted my unusual look. She loves me and takes good care of me.’
But she explained that she had never met her father, revealing: ‘My father left us right after seeing me in the maternity hospital.
‘We have not seen him or heard from him ever since.’
The youngsters has now started an Instagram page which she hopes will capture the attention of her father, who abandoned her at birth
The man who, reportedly, was a truck driver and earned good money, has never supported her mother, who had to work hard to bring up Yaroslava on her own.
Despite being disowned by her father, Yaroslava does not hold any grudges and remains determined to meet him one day.
She has tried to speak to him over social media, but has found her messages go ignored.
She revealed: ‘I found his profiles and tried to contact him but he never messaged back.
The teenager has been teaching herself guitar for ten years, and has now gained thousands of followers on social media
Yaroslava’s mother Ekaterina Oleinik discouraged her daughter from contacting her father on social media, but the teenager remains determined
‘My mother says: ”Why are you doing this? He might not want to communicate with you…”
‘But I’m curious how is he doing. He is my father after all.’
The teenager confessed it has taken her time to accept her unusual appearance and become comfortable with herself.
She explained: ‘In the past I wanted to change everything, starting from my hair.
The teenager often shares videos as she covers popular music, including songs by Billie Eilish and Serena Gomez
Despite her father abandoning the family when she was born, Yaroslava says she dreams of becoming a famous musician in order to make him proud
‘Then I calmed down and accepted myself. I have not had any nervous breakdowns since.’
Because of her condition, Yaroslava has breathing difficulties which make her wake up gasping for air during sleep.
She needs plastic surgeries to reconstruct the nose, restore its form and functions, say local media.
For years, Yaroslava has been learning to sing and play the guitar, and dreams of becoming a famous musician to gain the approval of her father.
The youngster, who was born without her left eye and her nose, said she has learned to accept the way that she looks
Three years ago, the then-fourteen-year-old started an Instagram account where she posts videos of her musical progress.
She said: ‘I have been teaching myself guitar for ten years. I am fond of music. I love popular music, rap and Russian chanson.’
But Yaroslava added that the feedback she receives isn’t always positive, revealing: ‘Do I have haters? Always! They motivate me to work harder and be better.’