You might remember the grainy TV segments or the viral headlines from years ago. They called her "the girl born without a face." It’s one of those stories that sticks in your brain because the images were so jarring, and the headlines were, honestly, a little exploitative. But beyond the tabloid-style shock factor, what actually happened to Juliana Wetmore?
She wasn't a medical "mystery" in the way people thought. She was a kid with a name, a family, and a diagnosis that would have broken most people.
The Moment Everything Changed
When Tami Wetmore gave birth to Juliana in 2003, the room didn't have that typical "congratulations" energy. It was pure shock. Tami had a rough delivery and didn't even see her daughter right away. Her husband, Thom, had to take a photo of Juliana and bring it to her to "brace" her for what they were looking at.
Juliana was born with Treacher Collins syndrome. Now, plenty of kids have this, but Juliana’s case was—and remains—one of the most severe ever recorded in medical history. She was missing roughly 40% of the bones in her face. No upper jaw. No cheekbones. No eye sockets.
Basically, the structure that holds a human face together just wasn't there.
What Happened to Juliana Wetmore After the Cameras Left?
For a long time, the public only saw the surgeries. And there were a lot of them. By the time she was 11, Juliana had already endured 45 different operations. Imagine that for a second. Forty-five times going under anesthesia, 45 times waking up in pain, and 45 times having doctors try to "build" a face where there was none.
📖 Related: High Protein Vegan Breakfasts: Why Most People Fail and How to Actually Get It Right
But here’s the thing that most people get wrong: Juliana’s brain was, and is, perfectly healthy.
While the world was staring at her exterior, she was busy being a smart, "quirky" kid. She learned sign language because she couldn't speak clearly at first. She attended regular school. She played the violin. She became an older sister.
The Adoption That Shocked the Family
You’d think a family dealing with 45 surgeries would have their hands full, right? Well, the Wetmores are built differently.
In 2010, they were browsing the web and found a photo of a little girl in a Ukrainian orphanage named Danica. She also had Treacher Collins syndrome, though her case was much milder. Because of her condition, she’d been sitting in that orphanage for six and a half years with nobody even inquiring about her.
Thom and Tami basically said, "We know how to handle this."
👉 See also: Finding the Right Care at Texas Children's Pediatrics Baytown Without the Stress
They flew to Ukraine and adopted her. Today, Juliana and Danica aren't just sisters; they’re a support system. They use sign language to talk to each other, and they navigate a world that stares at them together. Since then, the Wetmores have actually adopted more children, creating a massive, blended family that basically ignores the concept of "normal."
Where is Juliana Wetmore Today?
If you're looking for Juliana in 2026, you won't find her in the hospital as much. As she entered her late teens and now her early twenties (she turned 22 in March 2025), the pace of surgeries slowed down.
There's a specific reason for that: She chose to stop.
Years ago, her parents made it clear that they wouldn't force more cosmetic procedures on her. Juliana eventually reached a point where she told them she was satisfied with how she looked. She didn't want to chase a "typical" face anymore. She just wanted to live her life.
Here is the reality of her life now:
✨ Don't miss: Finding the Healthiest Cranberry Juice to Drink: What Most People Get Wrong
- Communication: She can talk, though it’s sometimes difficult for strangers to understand her. She still uses sign language to bridge the gap.
- Daily Life: She has a Baha hearing aid that allows her to hear almost perfectly.
- Independence: While she struggled with things like eating solid food for years (relying on a G-tube for liquid nutrition), she has made massive strides in physical independence.
- Advocacy: She’s become a bit of a beacon for the body positivity movement, showing up on social media to talk about self-acceptance and the fact that "beauty" is a pretty narrow word for such a big world.
Dealing with the "Internet" Side of Things
We have to talk about the dark side of this story. When Juliana’s story first went viral, some people on social media were—to put it bluntly—monsters. There were comments saying she should have been "euthanized."
It’s easy to think of those as just words on a screen, but the Wetmores had to read them. They used that vitriol as fuel. Instead of hiding Juliana away, they put her in the spotlight to teach empathy. Thom famously said that if you don't look inside people, you're making a "terrible mistake."
Actionable Insights: What We Can Learn from Juliana
The story of Juliana Wetmore isn't just a medical curiosity. It's a blueprint for how to handle extreme adversity without losing your soul. If you're following her journey or dealing with your own challenges, here are some real takeaways:
- Advocate for Autonomy: The most powerful part of Juliana’s story isn't the 45 surgeries; it’s the fact that she was allowed to say "no" to the 46th. Letting a child (or anyone) have a say in their medical journey is vital for their mental health.
- Redefine "Normal": The Wetmore family proved that "normal" is a setting on a dryer, not a requirement for a happy home. By adopting Danica and others, they built a community based on shared experience rather than aesthetics.
- Focus on Function Over Form: For years, the goal wasn't to make Juliana look "pretty" by Hollywood standards. It was to help her breathe, hear, and eat. When we focus on what a body can do rather than what it looks like, the pressure drops significantly.
Juliana is a young woman now, navigating adulthood with a face that looks different and a spirit that seems remarkably settled. She isn't a "medical miracle" to be gawked at; she's a person who decided that 40% of her bones didn't define 100% of her life.
To support families dealing with craniofacial conditions, you can look into organizations like the Children's Craniofacial Association (CCA), which provides resources and community for kids exactly like Juliana and Danica. Seeing the work they do helps move the conversation away from "shock" and toward actual, tangible support.