I'm an influencer and I can't smile due to a rare condition. Ignore the haters because I’m living the dream.

health

by asia grace

this is please don't laugh Case.

Smiley influencers can easily lure in new followers by flaunting their pretty eyes and flashing pearly whites on social media, making them laugh with glee.

But one tastemaker can't afford to dazzle her fans with sparkling lights because she's physically unable to smile.

“I can't smile, I can't close my mouth or eyes, I can't express my emotions,” Paula Paiva, 26, a content creator from Rolandia, Brazil, told Jam Press. “I have anxiety for the following reasons: [this]”

The feisty brunette explained her unusual condition to more than 446,300 curious TikTok viewers, stating: “I have a rare syndrome… it consists of facial paralysis.” Ta.

“My face has a lot of muscles,” she continued. “But they don't work. They're paralyzed.”

Paiva was completely expressionless since she was born.

“They had to put a tube in because I couldn't breastfeed, so I ended up going to the ICU,” she told JamPress. “Doctors at the time could not confirm my diagnosis and said I had at most three years to live.”

After three months and countless tests, Paiva was diagnosed with Moebius syndrome. Moebius syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes facial paralysis and the inability to move the eyes from side to side.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the disorder is caused by the absence or underdevelopment of the sixth and seventh cranial nerves, which control eye movements and facial expressions.

Mobius syndrome affects approximately 1 in 4 million people worldwide, including a woman from New Zealand who is notoriously known for her constant grimace, known as the “resting bitch face.” Trendsetter Tayla Clement, 24, is also included. In August 2022, the unabashed blonde was scouted by a modeling agency to help raise awareness of her congenital disease.

For Paiva, publicly advocating for her unique disability meant undergoing physical and speech therapy and even undergoing a series of eye surgeries.

“I've developed everything I can and improved every day,” Paiva said, noting that her progress has been slow but steady. “For example, the only time I took my first steps was at my second birthday party.”

Gen Z's lifelong struggle has included vicious teasing from schoolyard bullies.

“I remember always getting different looks, jokes and hurtful comments,” she recalls. “But the worst period was between the ages of 10 and 12.”

“Hearing these things made me feel sick,” Paiva added. “So I isolated myself to avoid commenting.”

Due to severe abuse from his tormentors, Paiva's parents eventually transferred him to a new school where he made friends and grew academically.

As a young adult, Bell began sharing details of her journey with an online audience in 2020. This courageous act immediately sparked interest from people around the world.

“I got a lot of comments about what had changed about my face. I made a video talking about it and it went viral,” Paiva said. “I gained 10,000 followers in two days.”

Despite the popularity of her posts, Paiva still endures harassment from cruel cyberbullies. But, she says, the bad tastes pale in comparison to the immense joy she feels when she shines as a virtual VIP.