U.S. cable network Discovery Fit & Health is to air the one-hour special The Girl with Half a Face (pictured) on December 18 at 10 p.m. EST.
Produced by MorningStar Entertainment, the program profiles Sarah Atwell, a 17-year-old who undergoes an operation to have a massive tumor removed from the right side of her face. The tumor was caused by a hereditary disease, neurofibromatosis, and continues to grow.
Atwell’s family was unable to find a doctor to operate until she posted a video online to share her story and fight back against bullies.
In tandem with the premiere, the network is partnering with social change organization DoSomething.org on an anti-bullying educational game called called Bully Text. The game puts users in a bully situation – either as victim or bystander – in an imaginary high school and asks them to react.