A grandfather has lost his nose after nasal cancer ravaged his face. In spite of that, he is hoping to find love.
Stephen White, 51, from Exeter, England, was left with a gaping hole in his face. Drastic surgery left him without a nose or any top teeth.
As a result, the dad-of-three, who has eight grandchildren, became a recluse. He said he is living like a “vampire” because he is too ashamed to go out in daylight.
He added that he would like to start dating but says he doesn’t have the confidence because his appearance scares people.
According to Metro.co.uk, the former sales assistant said: “I scare my grandchildren and when I go out in the street I scare, not just children, but everybody. People look at me and cross the road to avoid me.
“The cancer was right in the middle of my face and I’m still waiting for a new nose. If it wasn’t so visible I’d feel like I’d be able to date again. Really all I want is to fall in love.”
Stephen discovered he had nasal cancer four years ago, when he had a cold and noticed his nose was bleeding. An MRI scan showed the bone at the end of his nose had been “eaten away” by cancer and was spreading towards the back of his brain. He has been waiting for a prosthetic nose since 2015 and suffered from impaired vision as he has been unable to wear his glasses.
He said: “Before I had laser eye surgery last month, I could not see further than the end of my arm without my glasses. I couldn’t put my glasses on because there was nothing to rest them on.
“I couldn’t go out because I couldn’t see to cross the road and would be paranoid about bumping into people, as I couldn’t see them until they were a yard in front of me. Then they would look at my face and see I didn’t have a nose. It destroyed my self-confidence and I now have no self-esteem.”
Stephen recounted how he “burst into tears” when he first looked in the mirror after his surgery to see his face. He said he feared people would think he was a “monster”. He thought his “life was over” and felt depressed as he spent months on a diet of mushy food while going through aggressive radiotherapy treatment to remove the cancer.
He has been going back and forth trying to get a prosthetic nose fitted, and last month had to pay over £3000 for laser eye surgery, as he did not qualify for free treatment on the NHS.
He said: “I used to go and visit my grandchildren on the train, but I haven’t done that for years because I’m scared to be near all the people. Mums with prams will steer their buggies away from me. I look at people and they will cross the road. It’s soul-destroying. Now I would just like to find love. I want to find a girlfriend who will love me like I would love her.
“I think once I have my new nose I will feel more confident to go out and meet someone. I used to go to the pub and see friends, but over the last five years that’s gone down the toilet. I just want to be treated like a decent human being.”
Stephen’s family is trying to raise money via GoFundMe to help him get a new nose, Metro UK reports.
