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At just 14 years old, Jade Metivier faced incredible challenges when she underwent three complex facial reconstructive surgeries starting in May 2023. Living with a condition that hindered her ability to breathe, speak, and eat, she displayed remarkable strength.
After her first surgery, while intubated and sedated, Jade inspired everyone around her by dancing to a Taylor Swift song. A moving video captures this extraordinary moment in her hospital bed at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Despite her eyes being sewn shut and the tubes, she radiated joy as she fluttered her hands and bobbed her head to the upbeat rhythm of "Cruel Summer," prompting nurses to rush over in amazement.
One nurse remarked, “This is the first time I’ve seen an intubated patient dance. You’re a rock star.” Jade's spirit is a powerful reminder of resilience and the joy of overcoming adversity.
The joyful dance was a beautiful moment of reprieve for Jade and her parents, Christi and Mark Metivier, as she began her recovery from craniofacial disjunction surgery. This transformative procedure involved separating her midfacial bones from her skull to reposition them forward. It marked the first step in correcting her midface hypoplasia, a condition that caused her eyes, jaw, and cheekbones to develop at a different rate than the rest of her face, followed by two more complex surgeries.
Almost a year later, Jade returned to dance class, gracefully performing the aerials and twirls she loves.
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| Credit:Courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian |
“It changed my life,” Jade, now 16 and about to start her sophomore year in high school in her hometown in Kansas, shares in a joint interview with her parents. She can now savor pizza and sandwiches she was once unable to bite into, while gaining more confidence to smile and be herself.
“She was the role model for us, keeping us going,” reflects Christi, a 56-year-old stay-at-home mom. Mark, also 56, serves as a sales director in an agricultural supply chain management and processing company.
**Jade, a 14-Year-Old Dancer, Undergoes Complete Facial Reconstruction. Two Years Later, She Can Breathe and Eat Easily**
Jade Metivier after her first surgery in 2023.
“Every aspect of her daily functioning has improved. She is now able to eat, speak, and breathe in ways she never could before the procedure,” stated Dr. Thomas Imahiyerobo, the director of cleft and craniofacial surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, in a statement to PEOPLE about Jade’s transformative recovery. “Beyond this, her physical appearance has allowed her community to recognize her as the confident and extraordinary person she truly is.”
Her proud mother adds, “We all look back and say, ‘It was completely worth it.’”
Jade was adopted from China in 2011 when she was just 2 years old, joining a family already blessed with four sons. Born with a cleft lip and cleft palate, she faced early surgeries that paved the way for her future. However, as she entered puberty, the unexpected diagnosis of midface hypoplasia challenged her even further.
"As her face became concave, it became increasingly difficult for her to talk, eat, and breathe," Christi recalls. "You could hear her breathe because she couldn't close her lips."
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| Credit:Courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian |
At 14, Jade, a dedicated dancer, underwent extensive facial reconstructive surgery. Two years later, she can breathe and eat with ease. When Christi learned about the surgeries needed to align Jade's facial bones, it felt like being "kicked in the stomach," yet the family's journey is a testament to resilience and hope.
"I cried the whole drive back," Christi shares, proud of Jade's strength and determination.
“How can I put my daughter in a situation where someone takes her face off twice and cuts her skull in half and then puts her on a ventilator?” she remembers thinking.
Christi and Mark found comfort in the expertise of Dr. Imahiyerobo, who skillfully performed the rare series of procedures. To ensure Jade felt supported, the couple chose to share information about the upcoming surgeries gradually, empowering her to face each step with confidence.
After her first surgery, Jade had small metal devices called distractors placed on either side of her skull. These devices, connected to gears, cranks, and a rod on the outside of her head, empowered her parents to turn the distractors one millimeter each day for three weeks, gradually shifting her bones forward. Following the removal of the devices, she bravely faced reconstructive surgery.
"We would leave the room to cry, unable to do so in front of her," Christi recalls of that challenging time, noting that Jade "only had a couple of moments when she truly lost it."
With the unwavering support of her parents and older brothers, Jade gradually found her strength and returned to dance class alongside her friends, even when she couldn’t fully participate with the distractors. Jade’s friends also surrounded her with love, consistently checking in to see how she was doing.
Jade, a 14-year-old dancer, has undergone an incredible transformation with a complete facial reconstruction. Two years later, she can breathe and eat with ease.
Thanks to the skilled care of Dr. Imahiyerobo and her dedicated team, Jade has emerged stronger. After additional speech therapy, her friends can now understand her much better.
Her parents express immense gratitude, witnessing their daughter’s blossoming confidence and joy. “Now, we get to see her grow and thrive,” says Christi. “She's blessed our life.”
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| Credit: Instagram |
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