AN ASPIRING ACTRESS who had her jaw removed after being diagnosed with a rare type of cancer is hoping to inspire others with facial differences to follow their dreams. When Crystal, 23, first noticed what looked like a small abcess on her gum, she thought little of it. But when a precautionary dental check up ended in an emergency referral to hospital, it dawned on her that things were serious. "My face began swelling and really hurting. It was like my body had turned against me," she said. Then, just days after her 18th birthday, Crystal was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma. As well as chemotherapy, she underwent surgery to remove a large portion of her right cheek, several teeth and her upper jaw. Recalling the first time she saw her reflection following the operation, she said: "I was shocked. It really impacted my confidence. I used to hate the way I looked and would hide my face behind my hair." Over the years, Crystal slowly learned to live with her new normal. One huge turning point in her journey to self-acceptance was landing a place at a prestigious London drama school. Now one step closer to realising her dream of being an actress, she is sharing her story to call for better representation of facial differences in the media. "I really want to advocate for people who look different in the arts," she said. "We don't just want to play characters that are pitied or villainized. I want to prove that I'm more than my face."

Follow Crystal: https://www.instagram.com/faceinosteosarcomax/ and https://www.instagram.com/crystaltheactress/

Thank you to Luminosa for the photography used in this project. For information visit https://www.lumosia.com/