Discovery Fit & Health is addressing the bullying issue full-on with its new special “The Girl With Half a Face.”
The show follows 17-year-old Sarah, who suffers from a rare disease called Neurofibromatosis, which has caused a massive tumor to develop on the right side of her face. After years of hardship and bullying, Sarah is ready to undergo a risky operation that will remove part of her tumor and potentially change her life forever.
The special documents Sarah in the days and weeks leading up to her surgery, the surgery itself and Sarah’s transformation.
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The below clip from the special, exclusive to TheWrap, is titled, “Girl Trying to Fit in.” The two-minute, 21-second video depicts exactly that titular struggle, as Sarah recounts the constant taunts and teasing at school. In the video, family members and teachers also sympathize with Sarah’s struggle from home and her classrooms, respectively.
“Almost every day at school sucks,” Sarah says in the clip. “My class photo keeps going missing. Someone takes it, I don’t know why, and it hurts.”
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Sarah attempts to funnel her emotions through poetry, sharing one of her thoughtful compositions for the camera. She reads, “I wonder if war will ever end/I hear the bang of guns and people yelling/I want the war to end/I am a soldier/I worry I won’t make it/I cry, it hurts so much/I am a soldier.”
Discovery Fit & Health is partnering with DoSomething.org for the special on an anti-bullying campaign. “The Girl With Half a Face” premieres Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 10 p.m.
Watch the clip:
