On December 22, 2020, 19-year-old Taina Contreras, from Briarwood, Queens, received a lower eyelid reconstruction.
Northwell Health s Dr. James Bradley also reshaped her nose and corrected a prominent scar on her upper lip.
Contreras was born with a rare and severe cleft palate and lip, known as a Tessier #4 Craniofacial Cleft, as well as facial differences in her eyes and nose.
She had her first corrective surgery when she was just five months old and has endured more than 20 surgeries in her lifetime.
Contreras had her last surgery in 2017, but afterward she said she felt like my face was worse than what I began with.