What seemed as a harmless eye twitching and stress-induced headaches turned into a devastating diagnosis for 32-year-old Jade-Marie Clark, a school teacher from the U.K. The young mother of two from Scotland was diagnosed with a rare tumor that left her face partially paralyzed, stealing her ability to smile.

Clark first experienced ear pain in March 2020 during her pregnancy with her first child, which she believed was from an ear infection. Since the symptoms eased after delivery, she did not give it much thought. However, during her second pregnancy in 2023, persistent headaches and eye twitching resurfaced—this time, she mistook them as signs of work stress and hormonal changes.

But, things took a troubling turn when Clark lost sensation in the corner of her lips. Alarmed by the new symptom, she visited her GP, who referred her to a hospital. There, she received a devastating diagnosis: acoustic neuroma, a rare tumor that develops on the nerve connecting the ear to the brain.

Although noncancerous, acoustic neuroma also known as vestibular schwannoma can lead to serious complications, including hearing loss, ringing in the ear, facial numbness, and balance issues. When the tumor grows it can affect activities such as swallowing, speaking, and eye movements. In some cases, the tumor can grow rapidly, putting pressure on the brain and causing life-threatening complications.

Since Clark received the diagnosis just three months into her second pregnancy, she had to delay the treatment until after her baby was born. In April 2024, she underwent surgery to remove the tumor but suffered nerve damage during the procedure, resulting in facial palsy. The condition left her unable to smile or close her right eye.

"I didn't want to leave the house and I didn't want anyone to see me. I was just so sad. As well as being anxious, I became really depressed with how I looked. I feel like I underestimated the mental impact of facial palsy," Clark explained her trauma of living with facial palsy.

Clark is now awaiting surgery to transfer a nerve, a procedure that could potentially restore up to 80 percent of sensation in her face.

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