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Wang Dong (20) from Zaozhuang City, in East China’s Shandong Province, has no hair on his head or face and has been disfigured since birth because of a congenital outer developmental disorder in his skin.
Besides the lack of hair, Wang was born with a small nose and a face described as "dented" and "cratered".
The stigma of growing up "different" is often hard to shake in what is often deemed a conservative Chinese society, but Wang’s childhood was made that much harder because of the disease and his embarrassing nickname.
Wang started wearing a hat to class on his very first day of high school -- but his teenage years were still unbearable.
This year, after being admitted to university in the province’s Qingdao City, Wang had the chance to speak to local media, to whom he admitted that one of his biggest dreams was to "look normal".
His heartfelt admission made an impression -- and donations poured into Wang and his family, with the public hoping to help fund his cosmetic treatment.
In Qingdao, Wang was joined by his parents as he underwent the surgery to repair much of his face, after which he seemed like a completely new person, with significant alterations made to his eyes, nose, mouth, and teeth.
Wang said the changes, which are not enough to make him completely ordinary or anonymous, have already given him the confidence and courage to face his new life at university, which itself will be full of new challenges.
He also hopes that his new look will mean he never hears his nasty nickname again.
-- Magazine Features
