Eight-year-old was born with craniosynostosis, a condition caused by the growth plates that move to give room to the growing brain closing too early. When Chanel was born she had a tower-shaped head, which was applying too much pressure to her brain.

At just 10 months of age, surgeons at the RCH remodeled Chanel’s skull bone to relieve pressure from the fused plates. Although this surgery created space for Chanel’s brain to develop, it left her with one temple hallowed in and the other curved out.

Chanel’s dad John said that she always wants to wear her hair down, “with her long hair, she tends to hid her temples and face with it”.

Last week, surgeons operated on Chanel to correct her temples. The much anticipated surgery required using bone substitute to correct the shape of her temples, bringing Chanel closer to her wish of looking more like her friends.

“Chanel just wants to look like a normal girl” John said.