Australian YouTuber opens up on child’s deformity and fight to break stigma of difference in society
By Jackson Barron For Daily Mail Australia
04:17 13 Oct 2020, updated 04:17 13 Oct 2020
- Keiara Moore is campaigning to break the stigma around deformities in society
- Ms Moore’s daughter Mila was born with a cleft lip and has breathing difficulties
- The ‘Aussie Mum Vlogger’ ran a photoshoot with other women with deformities
- She hopes to raise awareness of deformities and give inspiration to her daughter
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.
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‘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