Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Joe Pagnelli

The woman who can’t smile: Meet the mother with a permanent poker face caused by rare genetic condition

A woman with a permanent poker face caused by a debilitating genetic condition was smiling on the inside when she married the man of her dreams in a fairy-tale ceremony with her beloved pet pig as their ring bearer.

Suffering with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), in her early life, Alexandrea Comstock, 26, says she was “friendless” and struggled with crippling anxiety after being “quacked” at and called “duck” by bullies, because her rare genetic condition means she has big lips, an arched back and cannot smile.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.