An inspirational 13-year-old girl who has undergone multiple operations after being born with a rare cranial condition wants to do even more to help other children suffering from the same or similar conditions as her.
Brave teenager Georgia Carlin was born with Craniosynostosis Syndrome, a condition where the bones that make up your skull fuse too soon.
This meant her brain was under pressure and didn’t have enough room to grow.
At three-months-old, Georgia was referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital to confirm her local hospital’s diagnosis, but while she was there, doctors also discovered she had two more conditions that came hand in hand with Craniosynostosis: Crouzon Syndrome, a condition where the bones in her face fused prematurely, affecting its shape, and Chiari Malformation, which can affect balance.
Her Chiari Malformation means her brain sits just above her spinal cord. One wrong fall and she could be paralysed.
Georgia, who is also deaf and has Sleep Apnoea, has had two major surgeries to relieve pressure on her brain while under the care of Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She has also had many other operations to make her life better.
This year Georgia will be having mid-face advancement surgery to pull her face forward and improve her facial difference.
Despite having to endure so many adversities in her short life, Georgia’s resilience, bravery, and caring nature have shone through and now she has been recognised with our 2025 Rising Above Adversity award.
The award forms part of our Live Our Best Live Awards – launched by Nottinghamshire Police in 2021 to shine a light on the inspiring work of young people across the force area.
Georgia’s selfless actions include twice donating her hair to the Princess Trust, a charity that makes wigs for children with cancer.
She has also raised money for the Craniofacial Department at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to give back and say thank you for all that they have done for her.
Her passions in life include drawing, particularly doing anime and manga-style drawings, as well as enjoying baking and spending time with her mum, Gail.
Georgia said: “I’d like to raise more money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital because of all the things they have done for me.
“Maybe when they have the money that I could raise for them, they can use that to get more equipment to help children with the same or similar conditions as me.
“The hardest part for me, going through all the MRI scans and operations, is probably getting into hospital in the first place. It just makes me go into full panic mode. Getting worked up to go to hospital makes the day a lot worse as well.”
When she’s older, Georgia hopes to go to art college and pursue her ambition to study animation and one day to become an animator.
Mum Gail said: “Georgia is a very loving, caring, and creative person. She amazes me on a daily basis and makes me proud every day.
“Although she’s been diagnosed with all of these conditions and despite all that she has had to endure with regard to operations and what she still has to go through, she still wants to help other children.
“All she wants is to fit in with society and live a normal life like other children her age.
“Georgia has inspired me throughout her whole life with her resilience and bravery, and I feel she deserves to be recognised for the selfless and brave young lady she is becoming.”
