Being visibly invisible - A journey with cleft | Stacey Hussell | TEDxNHS

Quick Overview

Stacey Hussell shares her personal journey of growing up with a visible cleft lip and palate, detailing the constant fear of bullying, the emotional and physical impact of surgeries, and the importance of self-compassion and societal change to move past outdated stereotypes that equate visible differences with villainy or punishment.

Key Points: One in five people in the UK identifies as having a visible difference, yet they are often ignored, excluded, or portrayed as villains in media. Stacey Hussell was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate and underwent her first surgery at six months old, followed by a total of three surgeries. The speaker recounts feeling self-conscious and struggling with dissociation and disconnection due to the physical and emotional trauma of her difference. She emphasizes that the prevalent cultural belief is that visible difference equals punishment for wrongdoing, citing villains like Captain Hook and Scar. Hussell founded a personal project, 'Changing Smiles,' to photograph 700 people born with clefts to show diverse, authentic representations rather than clinical or scary images. She advocates for parents to talk to their children early about identity and inclusion, and for society to actively change perceptions. The ultimate goal is to foster a world where people with visible differences feel accepted, celebrated, and can live without fear of being excluded or feeling like the 'bad guy'.

Context: Stacey Hussell delivers a TEDxNHS talk titled 'Being visibly invisible - A journey with cleft,' recounting her personal experience growing up with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. She discusses the societal challenges, the emotional toll of necessary surgeries, and her subsequent mission to challenge negative portrayals of visible differences in media and culture through photography and advocacy.

Detailed Analysis

Stacey Hussell begins by stating that many people choose not to sit next to someone with a visible difference, often out of fear or avoidance, noting that one in five people in the UK identifies as having such a difference. Hussell herself was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate, leading to a childhood where she felt she looked different, often being compared to characters like 'Babba from Forest Gump' or Captain Hook. She experienced bullying and felt she had to hide her true self, leading to feelings of self-consciousness, dissociation, and disconnection from her body. Her son was also born with bilateral cleft lip and palate, which brought the reality of the surgeries he might face—including long stays in hospital, multiple operations, and the emotional impact of being seen as 'swollen' or 'upset' post-surgery—into sharp focus for her. This personal experience reinforced her own childhood trauma. Hussell challenges the pervasive cultural belief, exemplified by villains like Scar and Captain Hook, that visible difference is a punishment for wrongdoing. She argues that this narrative is outdated and harmful, causing actual physical and emotional pain. To counter this, she initiated a project called 'Changing Smiles' to photograph 700 individuals born with clefts, aiming to show beautiful, authentic images rather than the clinical or scary ones often presented in media. She stresses that change starts with individuals—parents talking to their children early about identity and inclusion, and people being conscious of the messages they consume and share. Hussell concludes by stating her belief that people with visible differences are not meant to be villains and deserve to be seen, accepted, celebrated, and to live without fear of being excluded or feeling unsafe.