It blocked her nasal passage and most of her mouth so that she could only breathe and eat through a hole placed in the throat. Always a social impediment and a stigma, the growth eventually prompted her to become completely reclusive to avoid public ridicule. Before surgery, the bone growth had become a 7-kg (18-pound) tumor-like mass that covered almost her entire face. It was threatening her breathing and would have eventually caused blindness and death if doctors hadn't operated.
