A woman bullied and called ‘Mini Me’ because of her small size spent five years undergoing a painful procedure to making her three-and-a-half inches taller, according to the Daily Mirror.
Sanika Hussain from Bradford endured agonizing years of being mocked and tormented by her peers who called her names such as: ‘freak’ and ‘Mini me’.
Sanika, who stopped growing at just under 4ft 5ins, is now proudly standing tall at 4ft 8.5ins – despite leaving her legs badly scarred.
Sanika was given the go ahead for the controversial leg-lengthening procedures in 2010.
The painful process, which took more than four years, has left Sanika with dozens of scars on her legs – and a huge smile on her face.
In an interview with Daily Mirror, Sanika said: “I finally feel comfortable in my own skin.
“Although 3.5 inches may not sound like much, for me it was the difference between standing out and fitting in – between hating myself and feeling confident.
“Growing up, bullies used to shout ‘dwarf’ and ‘freak’ at me and over time I believed them.
“But now, with my longer legs, I don’t see myself as a ‘freak’ – I’m simply a petite woman.”
Medics had warned Sanika it could take up to 18 months to fully recover. However, a bone in Sanika’s right leg snapped and she had to go through the same operation again, which doubled the healing time.
Sanika, who lives with her mum Yasmin, spent close to three years flat on her back, before finally starting to learn how to walk again, with support aides.
Sanika is over the moon after finally being able to ditch her walking frame and having her leg braces removed.
She added she is now confident to date: “Finally I look like any other woman. Before the surgery I would never have dreamt of speaking to a man – I’d never felt attractive or confident enough to put myself out there.”
– Daily Mirror
