Heather’s learning to smile again after orange-sized brain tumour paralysed her face

Doctors transplanted nerves from Heather Dearie’s LEGS into her face to help her beam again. She was left paralysed after emergency surgery to remove the massive tumour.

The 29-year-old, who is delighted to be “back smiling again”, said: “I am thrilled it means so much to me after everything I have been through.”

Surgeons took microscopic nerves from her calves and transplanted them into her face through a four-inch neck incision.

She is now following a strict muscle-strengthening physiotherapy programme to give her a full range of facial movement again.

After the operation to remove her brain tumour she was subjected to cruel taunts due to paralysis on the right-hand side of her face. People messaged the former music management student online to tell her she looked “ugly”.

“Drunk people also shouted at me on trains and others stared,” said the former music management student.

It took 18 months to diagnose Heather’s condition by which time the tumour had grown “to the size of an orange”.

“It was so big, neurosurgeons could not avoid damaging my facial muscles in the nine-hour operation to remove it,” she explained. “They have not managed to remove all of it and I am being constantly monitored in case it grows again.”

The intricate surgery to restore her facial expressions was carried out in January by experts at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The plastic surgeons used high-magnification microscopes to perform the tricky procedure.

“I have had to endure two lots of major surgery of eight hours in total” Heather, from Ayr, added. “It is my only way back to smiling again.”

Heather who faces further surgery on her eyelids is now backing a £300,000 drive by the Brain Tumour Charity to get the condition spotted earlier.

“We are researching ways of spotting the early warning signs in adults,” said the organisation’s chief, Sarah Lindsell. “One in four brain tumour patients take more than 12 months to uncover and we are very concerned. Early surgery is vital to survive. We also need to understand the pathways it takes to spotting tumours.”

More than 9,300 people are diagnosed with brain tumours in the UK every year.