Being Diagnosed

When she was born, the doctors tried to figure out what she had, and soon enough she was diagnosed with Goldenhar Syndrome. This particular condition happens in 1 out of 25,000 babies that are born, and the congenital defect is ‘characterized by incomplete development of the ear, nose, soft palate, life and mandible.’

They Thought She Would Die

Sadly for Ivanka, the doctors told her parents that her condition was so bad that they believed she would die young, before she even turned one. The right side of her face was sunken, having no cranial bones on that side, so she couldn’t chew normally. Plus she was deaf in the ear on the right side as well. She also shared, “When I was diagnosed, I was given no hope. I wasn’t even supposed to survive.”