The brave Mansfield girl born with one eye who is defying the odds to excel at dancing

Little Myah from Mansfield was born with severe Micropthalmia, which meant she only had one eye at birth.

Mum Lauren Hauxwell has spent most of Myah’s short life fundraising for specialist prosthetic eyes, and watching her daughter having multiple painful operations to expand her eye socket as she grew.

Doctors told Lauren that Micropthalmia would affect her balance, coordination and distance perception, meaning she would struggle with hitting major milestones.

She was not expected to walk until at least 18 months, but surprised everyone by walking at just eight months old.

Lauren, who works as a teaching assistant, has been amazed at the determination she shows on a daily basis.

“Myah never stops. She’s a pocket rocket – she dances and practices almost every day,” said Lauren, 32.

Lauren’s granddad Eddie used to take her dancing when she was small, so Lauren wanted Myah to experience dance too.

“She started a year ago just for fun, but they encouraged us to enter competitions.”

Myah entered her first competition aged just four last April, and Lauren remembers how nerve wracking it was:

“She looked tiny dancing in front of so many people. She fell and split her lip during her routine and my heart dropped. She just jumped up, carried on and won.”

Under the tuition of Colin Chedgzoy and Angela Booth at Unity East Midlands, Myah has gone from strength to strength, winning competitions all over the country and gaining coveted sponsorship deals with rhinestone, glitter and earring companies.

Myah recently contracted chicken pox, and Lauren was upset to find three blisters inside her eye socket which developed into a growth, meaning she is currently unable to wear her prosthetic eye and requires an operation to have it removed. Myah refused to let anything hold her back, and still managed to win this weekend’s competition, despite being unable to practice regularly.

She also stunned her mum by excelling at swimming:

“Her teacher at Water Meadows has moved her into the competition pool already...she makes me unbelievably proud.”