When Cody Hall was born, it was clear that not everything had gone according to plan. The infant had a severe facial deformity in the form of a wide-spread birth mark and large swelling on the left side of her face.
The doctors told her parents that she had haemangioma, which was luckily a non-life-threatening condition. However, they said that because of how serious her case was they would be unable to operate until she was six-years-old.
Cody's parents refused to believe that, knowing she would have a difficult life because she didn't "fit in" to society's idea of normal.
They began researching the condition and contacting doctors across the country and begged them to help. Finally, they found a surgeon who specialized on serious children's operations.
They started a fundraiser and managed to collect the $303,462 required for the surgery soon after Cody's first birthday.
Over the next 14 years, she would have another 18 operations, and the transformation has been stunning.
After turning 15, it seemed that Cody could now live a normal life. She remembered how difficult the years had been.
"When I started at secondary school I did get a lot of people asking questions and in the street there would be people staring," she said.
"All the attention would sometimes upset me and I would come home and say I didn't like it. But over the years people have realized I am who I am."
Her confidence rose with every day, and she was absolutely beaming when she attended her prom after finishing high school. She felt ready to begin the next stage of her life.
Funnily enough, Cody met Lewis in the hospital as she was going through her surgeries. They got to know one another through the years and last year they got engaged.
They recently said their "I dos", and like any bride on her wedding day, she couldn't be more beautiful!