A mum-of-two is desperate for cosmetic surgery because she suffers from a rare condition that makes her face look like it is melting.
Marta Helena Barbosa has neurofibromatosis – a genetic disorder that causes tumours to form on her nerve tissue.
The 39-year-old said it started when she was a small girl.
By the time she was 15, her appearance had been dramatically changed, forcing her to hide herself away “for as long as I can remember”.
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She said the condition prevents her from finding work and desperately wants to undergo plastic surgery.
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Marta explained: “My biggest dream is to have a facelift.
“Not so I look beautiful, but because I want to work and be able to raise my children.
“I can’t find work because appearances are important nowadays.
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“There is nothing more painful than not being able to work and have others point the finger at me.”
She added: “My worst enemy is the mirror.”
Marta receives sick pay from the local authorities every month.
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But she says it is not enough to support her and her two adult sons who work as waiters in town to help pay the bills.
To pay off her mortgage, she has to sell sweets and recyclable materials on the street.
Marta, who lives in Trindade near Goiânia, Brazil, said: “I need this surgery so I can stop humiliating myself to others.
“I go door-to-door looking for work and always find them closed.
“I need to work to have goals in life and be able to take care of my sons.
“If I don’t do this, I could lose the house where we live.”
At the end of last year, Marta had most of the unsightly tumours removed from her face on Brazil’s public healthcare system, SUS.
She is currently waiting for a cosmetic procedure to improve her appearance.
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